Against All Odds
by Thankless
Summary: AU: The shadows could watch. The shadows could squirm and follow and feel. He knew it. They could possess a heart and turn it black. And he was their master, their lord, their savior. Too bad he was in love with the enemy. SuzaLulu
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter One: Prelude to Madness

_Somewhere in London, 11: 59 P.M. on New Year's Eve, 1899._

The shadows called to his staggering and stumbling form, singing songs of protection and shelter. Blood dripped down from the tips of his fingers on his left hand, leaving a trail of little red splots on the cobbled streets of the city, and the opposite hand clenched at the shoulder shedding the precious red fluid. He looked around frantically, eyes dark and half-wild from the pain creeping along the entire left side of his body. The butcher shop stood to his right, the tailor next to that, followed by another little shop. He perked up when he saw a little cat sitting in front of the last store, as if awaiting his arrival. _'My Lord, I have been expecting you,'_ A lone voice whispered softly in his head. He flinched back a bit, alarmed by this. The cat took a step closer, amber eyes glinting sharply in the dark night. _'You feel a little queasy, a little unnerved, yes? You're hearing the screams of your people, My Lord. You have a duty to fulfill and I am here to assure you do so.' _The voice whispered again.

"A duty? My people?" He whispered softly, looking around at the dark alleyways and lightless crevices of the shops. He saw little flickers of movement, little things his eyes had never caught before. He looked back to the cat, panting harshly as the strain of his injury, the weakness from the blood loss and the realization of what was happening finally began to sink in.

"_Save us!"_ A voice from the shadows cried. He turned and looked back to see a thin, shaky black shadow reach out to him. It touched his skin and he was winded, feeling as if all the air had been suck from his lungs. He stumbled back and the cat launched forward, fur on end and hissing loudly.

'_Fool! Your touch will kill him until his powers are settled! If he dies, so does our salvation!'_ The cat snapped angrily before looking back at the fearful human a few feet away. It then nodded it's head toward the shop it had been sitting in front of. _'Come with me and your wounds shall be treated. And then you'll be able to learn who you really are.'_ She stated as she walked back. He blinked slowly, still feeling suspicious, but followed the peculiar animal in hopes of seeking some kind of medical attention for his deep wound.

The next morning every paper in London ran the same headline; The Grand Duke of Weschester's only remaining son disappeared on the eve of the New Year.

…

_Tokyo, 5: 35 A.M., modern day._

He woke up to his mother's blaring alarm, just like every other morning. She returned every night at eleven, ate a small snack, and then went to sleep. At 5 she got back up and left for work again. He had memorized her schedule, mostly because of his own resentment towards it, and had set his own schedule to a similar beat. He went to bed at nine like always. He'd wake up when she slipped in through the creaky old door to their crappy apartment, listen to her shuffle around for about ten minutes, then doze back off. He'd always wake up with her alarm, remain awake another five minutes so he could hear her get in the shower, go back to sleep, and stay asleep until he had to wake up an hour later to ready for school. And, much to his surprise, she always found a way to make him a little bento box before darting off to one of her two jobs. When he saw the little container wrapped up in a white clothe every morning he felt a mix of joy and agitation. He didn't need her taking care of him like he was some ignorant little child but a slim part of him was grateful for the gesture. She should have spent her time making her own lunch instead. He, however, never vocalized these feelings of his.

He waited the usual five minutes before a dreamless cloud of black enveloped him again. The loud blare of his own alarm stirred him an hour latter and, much to his own resistance, he rolled out of bed. He glanced at his cell and saw his girlfriend had already sent him five different good morning texts. With a heavy sigh he left his phone on his nightstand and headed to bathroom for a shower. A beautiful start to what he was assuming would be a beautiful day.

…

"Suzaku-Kun!" A blur of pink and white glomped him as soon as he stepped onto the campus. He held his ground, thankfully, and let the perky girl nuzzle him gently. "Why didn't you answer any of my text messages?" She whined softly, looking up with big purple eyes. It was those exact same eyes that had drawn him to the girl but now he had come to resent her as well. Her eyes couldn't make up for her repulsive personality.

"I had to shower and get my things together. I didn't even have time to grab my phone. I left it at home, Euphy," He stated gently, hoping she'd take some pity on him. He'd been busy that morning, writing a note to his mom that he'd probably be out with friends at the mall when she got home. It was Saturday so classes ended early. A new horror flick was out and his small gaggle of friends were eager to see it. They'd even agreed to pay for his ticket as long as he agreed to go too.

"You should try waking up earlier than. That way you'll have plenty of time to get every thing and not forget your cell. Sheesh! Now we're going to have to go get it after school and then we'll be late getting ready for the movie and then we'll show up late! Do you think about all of this when you decide to screw everything up?!" She grumbled, arms crossed over her chest and a pout on her face. Suzaku bit back any harsh comments he had and, instead, gently took her hand and kissed it. She looked at him with her pout still plastered on then let out a small sigh. "Okay, okay. How about instead I'll go home alone and get ready for the movie? That'll give you time to get yourself put all together pretty for me." She hummed, smiling at her solution. Suzaku flashed her a bright smile and nodded. He, again, resisted the urge to snap at her. He had suggested that exact same thing to her three days ago when she told him her plan to go to each other's houses and help one another get ready.

He followed Euphy begrudgingly to their class, where their friends were awaiting their arrival. He mentally calculated the complicated jumble within his group to assure he didn't step on any toes. Now, let's see... Takashi and Yosuke hated each other because Yosuke had always bullied Takashi when they were young. Tiff, the perky blonde transfer student, was dating Yosuke but was actually hung up over Tomo, who was Yosuke's cousin. Tomo, however, resented Suzaku dating Euphemia because he himself was head over heels for the spoiled Daddy's girl. And then there was Shia, Takashi's girlfriend, who came from a troubled home life and made it her business to tear the other two girls down every chance she got. And last but not least was Suzaku's dear cousin, Kaguya. She liked Takashi but was too shy to tell and when she was finally ready was too late. Shia had snatched him away and Takashi had explained he wasn't going to dump Shia just because of Kaguya's feelings. He took a deep breath and slowly stepped forward to face the day. Ah yes, another beautiful morning of lies and deceit from Suzaku Kururugi.

…

After class Euphy had changed her plan for the fifth time. She called her older sister, Cornelia, and told her which outfit she wanted. She told her to bring it over to Suzaku's house so she could change in the restroom there. "Okay, yes. I love you, sis!" She giggled happily in the phone. Suzaku shifted his attention to a peculiar little kitty staring at him curiously. It's fur was a pale violet hue aside from it's lightly fluffed black tipped tail and a patch over its right eye. It's luminous amber orbs shifted from Suzaku to Euphy, who was now also staring at it. Her eyes widened, she squealed, darted over and snatched it up, pressing it to her chest. "Oh how cute!"

"Are you sure you should pick it up? It may be diseased or…" Suzaku's voice trailed off when she pinned him with a glare. He held up his hands quickly. "Sorry. Forget I mentioned anything." He stated. He reached over to pet the little cat when it hissed at him and scratched his hand.

"He knows you were being mean to him!" She giggled happily. He sighed and spotted a purple rope with a little tag knotted around the cat's neck. He reached over, ignoring the low growl released from the scrawny thing's throat, and looked at the little gold tags. "Is there a phone number?" Euphy asked curiously.

"No, but there is an address, which is just as good. I'll take this cat home and then go get my stuff," Suzaku stated, reaching to take the little cat. She turned away and whimpered lightly. He blinked, stunned by this. "Euphy, you know you can't keep him. He had an owner who is probably missing him like crazy." He stated gently. She sighed again and looked at him.

"Well can I at least come along to take him home? I mean, he doesn't really like you anyway. This way you don't get all scratched up and I have more time to bond with the little guy!" She suggested eagerly, eyes shimmering happily. He didn't even try to argue with her. He knew that if he did she'd just get fussy and he wasn't in the mood to deal with it.

The address was about three blocks from the school in the direction of Suzaku's apartment. The store had a black canopy draping over the door and large shop window. The window was crowed with what appeared to be fake skulls, toy knives dipped in fake blood, and a few little gold dishes dangling from silver chains with fake cobwebs strewn across. A few incenses were strung out from around the rim of the dishes, held in place by little holders invisible to the eyes of the teens outside. They watched as the pale gray smoke flittered from the burnt tips and released its aroma to the inside of the shop. "This place is way too creepy to be this little kitty's home!" Euphy protested, stepping back a bit. Suzaku glanced at her and realized she was shaking a little bit.

Taking his frightened girlfriend's hand in his own Suzaku walked forward and pushed open the door. A bell at the top dinged, being struck by the top of the door, and both teen's jumped in surprised. "Ah, so you've finally come home. Well, I'll admit I'm not fond of anchovies on pizza but to each their own, or some virtuous bull like that," The dark figure behind the register stated calmly, their back to the customers. He was wearing what appeared to be an all black suit, his hair, also jet black, blending in with his outfit. The only way they knew his hair was not a part of his coat was that a bit of the pale flesh of his neck was visible. He reached up, hands in white gloves, with a large cardboard box and shoved it on to the shelf he was facing. "I'm going to warn you, though, that next time you test my patience I won't hesitate to rid of you for good." He sighed before turning. Suzaku's heart skipped a beat then picked back twice as fast when he was met by a pair of intense amethyst spheres a few tones darker than those of his companion. The shop keeper blinked a few times, surprise registering on his beautiful pair face, before looking a tad bit annoyed. "This is not a store for children. Tell me, why are you here?" He asked, slipping into a black office chair situated behind the counter and in front of the register.

"We came to return your cat," Suzaku stated after a second, indicating the little furry creature in the pink haired girl's arms. A brow was raised quizzically as the shop keep leaned forward, resting his elbow on the counter top and resting his chin in the hand. He blinked a few times and watched as the cat squirmed free of Euphemia's grasp. It darted across the dusty wooden floor, hopped up elegantly, and sat on the counter before him. He turned and shook his head at the cat. "Uh… Is it not your cat?" He asked worriedly, watching as the man analyzed the four legged creature before him.

He glanced up, dark bangs falling into his eyes a bit, and sent a lazy grin in Suzaku's direction. "You brought the little wretch to the right place. I thank you for this. When this kitty gets tired it won't come home on it's own," He explained, sitting back in his chair. Seeming to feel courageous, or just wanting to test the shop keeper's boundaries, Euphy stepped over and began petting the cat on it's head.

"Your kitty is so friendly," She stated cheerfully. The cat leaned closer to her touch, purring slightly. She giggled in response. "Kitty doesn't like my boyfriend very much, though. It attacked him quite a few times."

A dark, mirthy chuckle bubbled out of the shop keeper's throat. His grin had become almost sadistic as he shifted his harsh gaze on Euphy. She stopped caressing the cat's fur and tensed up visibly. "My pretty kitty hates good, wholesome people. Those who act only for others, who never speak up from fear of hurting another person… It makes Kitty's skin crawl. Sinners, however, make Kitty feel free and fair! At one with Kitty's natural self, if you will." He hummed lightly. Euphemia flushed furiously and glared at him, her hands falling to her hips stubbornly.

"And what sin have I committed?! He's the one who's always late and forgetful!" She snapped, pointing at the bemused brunette accusingly. The shop keeper blinked lazily, slowly, before looking back at the cat. It mewled lightly, stepped forward, and lightly head butted the arm holding his head up. He lifted his head and began lightly stroking it's fur with one gloved hand before fixing his gaze back at the aggravated female.

"With one glance at your hair, face and from what your attitude has told me you have a long driving relationship with Pride, which seems to be the leader of the others. If you have Pride, you'll most likely end up with at least one other sin," He stated, his other hand plopping up and one finger sticking up. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"It's called teenage girl syndrome, idiot. Look it up sometime on the web," She retorted harshly, glaring at him still. The shop keep kept his cool, eyes shimmering dully with his calm collected nature.

"After that comes the sin of Greed, considering how terribly you want your boyfriend back there to pay attention to no one but you. Next Envy due to your jealousy toward a friend who is in a relationship you consider more successful than your own. And, finally," He continued on casually, "the sin of Lust due to the fact you've cheated on your boyfriend quite a few times." He yawned leisurely, as if growing bored, and shifted his gaze to Suzaku, who was stunned at the newly revealed information. The shop keeper's eyes narrowed a bit, seeming to scrutinize the high school boy. "You, on the other hand, have lived a relatively sin-free life. You're very difficult for me to read." He mumbled bitterly, a spark of annoyance flashing in his eyes.

It was then Euphemia's hand came down on his face, the sound of skin hitting skin echoing in the tiny shop. His head remained tilted to the side, his cheek turning a tad bit pink where the other had laid her hand. He then looked at her sideways, eyes narrowing to dangerous points. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes, her entire form shaking, but still her hand remained raised as if to strike again. "How… How dare you!" She wailed before turning and running off, shoving Suzaku's shoulder as she ran by. He blinked, looked back at her and sighed. He shifted his attention to the shop keeper, who was now looking at him with an amused grin.

"I'm really sorry about that. Sometimes Euphy just overreacts and takes jokes too seriously," He stated apologetically, bowing politely. The shop keeper shook his head slightly at this and let out a soft snorting noise. Suzaku glanced back up curiously.

"I never said it was a joke," The shop keeper stated calmly, "because it wasn't. I'm what you could call a psychic, if you will. Unlike the majority that see ghosts, however, I can read how many sins a person has committed up to this point in their life through looking in their eyes and observing their personality. If they have Pride than a quick glance in their eyes reveals their other crimes to me. I meant every word I said about your girlfriend. If you don't believe me, ask you friend Tomo what he and Euphy where doing together last Saturday evening. It certainly wasn't busing tables at the diner on the corner or getting a pedicure at a salon across town." Emerald eyes blinked back surprise as he watched and listened to the shop keeper. Other than Euphy's name he hadn't given him any other information. His skin crawled a bit at the thought of this man's strange ability being real.

"I… I have to go. I'm supposed to go to the movies with my friends tonight," He stated quickly, bowing again. The shop keeper nodded, an all-knowing smirk twisting up his lips.

"Feel free to stop by again any time you like, Suzaku Kururugi," He stated cheerfully as the other made a bee line for the door. Suzaku's blood went to ice in his veins as soon as he stepped out of the shop. He had never given the strange shop keep his first or last name.

END

What do you think so far? Interesting? Confused? Bored? I need your feedback or else you may never know what's going to happen next!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Two: Breaking up is Madness

Pale fingers lightly slithered over the smooth, cool glass of a bottle, caressing the neck and pulling it down from the shelf. "Well, well. I had more than I thought," A male's voice purred softly, shaking the bottle and listening to the light swish of the liquid going back and forth. He yanked out the cork, tossed it aside carelessly, and took a quick swig. He froze, tensed up, and spat the cool liquid out, the red fluid sprinkling along the countertop before him. "It's gone old and stale. I thought you said this stuff couldn't go bad?" He stated coldly, glaring at the bottle in his hand and then at the purple and black cat seated at the other end of the countertop. "You're always lying to me, aren't you?"

'_Don't be like that,'_ A calm, breezy woman's voice chided in his head. When it spoke the cat stood up and slowly approached, being weary to the spots where the young male had coughed up his beverage. It's eyes gleamed lightly as it sat in a dry spot closer to him. _'If you need something a bit more fresh I could always coax that perky brunette back here. He seems like your type.'_

Violet orbs shifted to a look of pure wrath. "Just because I have a preference to fresher pastures doesn't mean I'm going to give in so easily. I'll just order a new shipment in the morning. This should tide me over until then," He answered, taking another quick swig and making a face as it went down. Terrible. The iron was too potent, meaning this person had indeed committed a sin. Tasted like the sin of Gluttony. "This must be old. There's too many calories in this." He stated aloud, falling back in his seat and glaring at the half empty bottle. He had just barely started out when he gathered this. His memory snapped back to the day when he had earned this one. He had only been in his work for about three weeks, he was reacting poorly to the fluids his finicky cat was bringing him, so he decided to go harvest a little on his own. He was a novice. He couldn't determine anything. He ended up getting the blood of a serious sinner. He nearly died. It was this blood, with a little swirl of Gluttony, that had been his first success. He sighed deeply, looking at the bottle with boredom instead of annoyance. That boy, Suzaku Kururugi, had been wafting off the most delicious of smells. He was pure, innocent, and completely free of any sin. He lied to keep from hurting other people, which counteracted the possible sin in it, and he was always there when his friends needed him. Even if he didn't want to attend a movie or go out to lunch he went to appease the masses. "Something about him just doesn't sit right. No one lives a life like that without some reason." He mused aloud. His car hoped from it's perched on the counter to his lap. He lightly stroked her head. "What do you think about it?"

'_I think you need his blood. You're getting too weak. If you were at your best you would have been able to read if that little brat was following any of the seven Heavenly Virtues. If he is,'_ The voice explained, clearly belonging to the cat, _'he will either have blood richer than any you've tasted or will be a poisoned snack. That's why you need to get a taste.' _He stood, causing the cat to tumble to the ground with a loud thump. She sat up, shook it off and growled low in her throat. _'You know that I'm right, Lelouch!_' She hissed. He glanced back at her again, scoffed a bit, and then disappeared to the back of the store. He was probably going to go lie down and polish off that old bottle and then begin planning what he'd order. The little cat scowled to herself before heading out, an idea coming to her. He had said he wouldn't drink the boy's blood; he never said she couldn't bring him over again.

…

The air was thick between them. Her eyes were wide, glassy with a coating of tears, and his were cast to the side, a glaze of empathy covering his own. "Is… Is it because of what that weirdo said the other day?" She whispered softly. He shook his head gently. She sniffled a bit. "Then why?"

"I asked everyone if they thought it was possible that guy was right. They told me they always knew you were going behind my back. Tomo told me everything and asked me to forgive him," He stated gently. He looked at his shoes and then back at the rosette haired female before him. "I'll forgive you too but I can't stay with you. I don't want us to go through a relationship where I'm distrustful of you and you're guilt-ridden with what you've done." He explained gently, his tone sincere and apologetic. He glanced up and saw her glaring at him.

"You think I'd feel guilty?! You're pathetic! I cheated on you because I wanted you to notice me! It's all your fault I did it! If you had just given me a little more tender loving care and attention I wouldn't have gone to someone else to get satisfied! But it's your lose, Suzaku Kururugi! I'm the best girl in this whole school! Any guy would be lucky to have me!" She shrieked shrilly, eyes glinting with a hysterical light. Suzaku stepped back a bit. He had known that Euphemia was a little off kilter, a little screwy in the head, but he had no idea she was like this. "You'll pay for this, Suzaku… I swear you'll pay for this!" She screamed loudly before turning and running off in tears. He could hear her sobbing until she turned around the next corner. He watched her go before sighing lightly. He knew she'd be back on her feet with a new guy soon enough. He turned and headed back to class to grab his things. He sent a glance out the window to see the weather and was stunned to see the little cat from the day before was perched on the wall of the school, as if awaiting someone's arrival patiently.

Suzaku ran out of the school with his book bag as quickly as his legs could carry. Upon his arrival the cat hopped from it's spot and began walking along the street. He caught up to it and walked beside it. "What are you doing here, little kitty?" He asked curiously. The cat glanced at him, amber orbs shining, before looking forward and walking again. "Well, I hope you know where you're going. We need to get you back to your owner again."

'_I know exactly where we're going. We're going to go and give my master a tasty little snack,'_ The cat thought smugly to itself. Or, rather, herself.

…

Suzaku pushed the door to the dreary little shop open and walked in calmly, looking around. It was just as dark, gloomy, and old looking as the day before. He walked over to the counter, surprised to see the shop keeper wasn't at attention, and spotted a strange clutter of red drops on the surface. He looked a little closer and was stunned to realize the little spots were blood. "Did he hurt himself? Maybe sneeze during a bloody nose?" He wondered aloud.

"That… is none of your business," He heard the smooth, velvety voice of the shop keeper state casually as he walked out from the back room, which was hidden by a large black curtain. The rest of the black in the small shop had made the cloth door invisible from sight unless the person was looking for it. The shop keep was clad in the same outfit as before. It was only now Suzaku thought about how much it made him look like an earl or duke from the late 1770s in England. "And where did you find my kitty this time?" He sighed, flopping down in his seat, pulling out a rag and beginning to wipe up the mess he had made before the young Japanese boy had shown up.

"Actually, your cat came looking for me. Or, at least I think it came looking for me. It was waiting for me after school and wouldn't budge until I came with it here," He explained nervously, laughing a bit as he spoke. The shop keeper tensed up a bit, his circle motion stopping. He looked up through his bangs, eyes sharp and glinting darkly. Suzaku felt a pleasured shiver roll up along his spine. "Or… Erm… It seemed that way to me… But that was probably wrong of me to say…" He trailed quickly, afraid he may have offended the other male.

"It's possible my kitty was feeling a connection to you. She may not like you but she may have other uses for you," He stated gently while returning to his work. His head tilted down and Suzaku was freed from the weight of his look. Suzaku hid the shivers he was feeling. The shop keeper was truly a frightening person.

"So your cat is a girl?" He asked slowly, swallowing his shakes and trying to sound relax. The shop keeper, seeming satisfied that he'd erased all of the red liquid from his countertop, sat back in his seat and tossed the rag on a shelf by his feet.

"That's what she claims, anyway," He answered calmly. The cat hopped from the ground to the counter and growled at his, ears back and tail fluffing out. He merely scoffed and flicked the cat on her little pink nose. "Don't get frisky with me. Don't bite the hand that feeds, cat." He warned lowly.

"So… Uh, what's her name?" The brunette asked cautiously, watching the death glares the animal and master were exchanging.

"Call her C2. That's what I call her, anyway," He shrugged, violet eyes glinting with ill intent at the cat. Suzaku nodded a bit, reached over to pet her, and was answered by getting scratched. He hissed lightly and winced while the shop keep raised a dark brow with interest. "She normally doesn't respond so violently to those free of sin. She must really not like you." He commented. Suzaku pulled his hand back and looked at red marks left on his skin from the cat's long nails.

"I guess so," He mumbled, "considering she broke the skin. I hope I still have band-aids and stuff in my bag." He set his book bag on the counter, beginning to rummage through it, while the shop keeper shot the cat a scornful look.

She, however, hopped off the counter and began walking off. _'You don't have to thank me. Just take a little taste of his blood and decide if it sets well with your delicate palette. If not I'll wipe his memory clean and find another feast for you,'_ Her voice taunting gently as she snuck behind the curtain, tail flicking from side to side impatiently.

"Sneaky little witch," He grumbled. Suzaku looked up curiously, having heard him speak. His eyes shimmered innocently, the emerald tint getting a bit brighter at the edges near his irises. The shop keeper waved a hand quickly. "I was just remembering something inconvenient. Let me look at your hand. I'll make sure she didn't do any serious damage." He stated, taking Suzaku's hand and looking at it calmly.

"Oh…Uh… T-Thanks," Suzaku stammered nervously. The shop keeper's gloves were warm and soft, a pleasant sensation under his calloused skin. A long silence followed as the shop keeper pulled Suzaku's cleaning supplies from his bag and to himself, beginning to apply the medicine gently with a cotton swab from the small pack Suzaku kept in his small medical supply kit. "So… What's your name?" He asked slowly, clearing his throat a bit to clear away some of the fear. Was he being too straight forward? Would the shop keep be insulted by this attitude?

"I've answered to many names over the years but you may call me Lelouch," He stated calmly, lightly dabbing at a cut with a bit of hydro peroxide. Suzaku blinked a bit.

"Rerouch?" He asked slowly.

"No, no. Not with an R, with an L. You do know a bit of English, don't you? Isn't it a required class nowadays?" He asked with an aggravated sigh. Suzaku blushed a bit, embarrassed by his own poor pronunciation and a bit enraged by the other male's harsh response.

"Well, yeah, but it's not easy," He grumbled lightly, pouting a bit and looking off to the side. A small chuckle came from the shop keeper, now known as Lelouch, earning the attention of the curious Japanese boy.

"I could tutor you with your English, if you'd like. I don't have anything better to do, anyway. Busy is usually quite slow," He mused lightly. Suzaku's eyes lit up eagerly.

"Really?! That'd be great? I broke up with my girlfriend and she was my tutor before so I kind of need a new one!" He hummed happily. Lelouch twitched, seeming to finally realize exactly what he had just said.

"You broke up with her?! Why?!" He asked sharply, almost sounding angry. Suzaku flinched a bit in fear but couldn't get too far away. Lelouch still had a grip on his hand. The other let out a long sigh and shook his head, returning his attention to cleaning the scratches on the other's hand. "Never mind. I assume it's for the best. At least now you don't have to worry about her dragging you to the bowls of Hell with her." He scoffed while pulling out a band-aid and placing it over a cleaned cut. He picked up a new cotton swab, dipped it into the little bottle of cleaning fluid, and returned to working on a different cut. "From now on come here after school and I'll help you with your English. I can't very well let you walk around with you butchering my first language, after all." He explained gently.

"So you're from an English speaking country? I knew you were a foreigner. Where are you from?" Suzaku asked excitedly. Despite the fear he held he was also mesmerized and attracted to the young shop keeper. It was something about the amethyst eyes, the raven black locks that looked soft to the touch, the pale skin that looked oh so smooth, the little beams of heat that seemed to crackle up Suzaku's arm from where the other's glove clad hands held his own.

"I think I've answered enough questions for one day, if you don't mind me saying so," Lelouch answered curtly, voice a bit harsher than he'd intended. He glanced up at the now sulking brunette. "I'll let you ask me three questions a day, okay? If I don't like a question, though, I will ignore it." He stated calmly, grabbing another band-aid and setting it over the cut.

"Why only three questions?" Suzaku asked, clearly very confused. The shop keeper held up a finger and lightly wagged it at him.

"I told you the limit was three. You've already reached said limit for one day," He answered calmly before returning to the task of cleaning up the last little cut mark. Suzaku grinned a bit to himself.

"You're really weird," He chimed happily. He was, however, grateful for the other male's offer of tutoring. Being in the apartment alone always left him feeling empty, alone, and isolated. He sometimes wondered if maybe his mother preferred work to spend time with him now. He was, after all, his father's son. The same father who was now on the lamb to avoid the yakuza, which he was heavily indebted to, and the cops, who were desperate to get the man to testify against the group. Learning English would come in handy for this year's class trip to America, which he could only go on if he had flawless grades. His mother didn't have enough money to spare to cover any part of the trip but if his grades were good enough one of the donators to the school would sponsor his trip expenses. "Thank you." He stated cheerfully. The shop keep glanced at him and then returned to his work. And, if Suzaku didn't know any better, he would have sworn he saw the other grimace in pain.

…

'_You didn't take any of his blood, I assume?'_ The cat asked calmly from her perch on a desk in Lelouch's room. Behind the black curtain was a small staircase that lead to the small second floor. Up there was a bathroom, a closet and a tiny bedroom. Lelouch abandoned his black jacket on the chair pushed into the desk and fell over on to the bed. _'What seems to be the problem?'_

"If you did your research you'd know that kid is a Son of Emil," He stated flatly, glaring at his furry companion. She twitched and stood abruptly, tail fluffing out with frustration and anger. "That's why he's such a kind person. He was basically marinated in the essence of the seven Heavenly virtues when he was in his mother's womb."

'_I thought that decrypted old fool died centuries ago. How is it possible that he lived long enough to find another human to infect?'_ She asked quickly, forcing herself to calm back down and slowly walking closer to the edge of the desk. _'We saw him fall, didn't we? Or was that just a far too pleasant dream?'_

"I was certain I'd done away with him but clearly I was wrong. We just assumed that being as severely wounded as he was and falling off the edge of a cliff into a rocky bluff below was enough to do him in. We were too careless and now it's going to cost us a world of trouble," He sighed, switching to lie on his back. He cushioned his arms underneath his head. "His blood will surely be good but is it worth the risk? If Emil returns and that boy learns of what he is it'll be the end of us both."

"Then the solution is simple," C2 stated as she hopped from the desk to the bed. She sat on the pillow beside her master's head and looked down at him, amber eyes darkening with her plan. "I'll go to the Black Knights and see if I can dig up any information about where Emil is and what state he's in. While I'm gone you work on getting that boy under your thumb. I know you want to see what he can bring to the table with him. I'll cast a black cat spell on him. That should send him running to the safety of your arms. I'll also cast a blind spell. If any other creatures find out what he is, a servant to you or not, they'll pursue him. As long as he remains hidden we have a good chance of success." She explained before resting a paw on his forehead. "You're getting sick. If you don't get fresh blood in you soon you'll get worse."

"Thanks for the heads up," He scoffed, closing his eyes and trying to relax.

"Just rest, you cranky prince. I'll do all the hard work so just focus on keeping that boy under your watchful eye," She hummed before hopping on to the desk and slipping out the window. She slipped down along the dark streets, disappearing into a dark alley.

End

Confused and interested all at once? I hope so. That's what I'm going for right now! Continue giving me your lovely reviews and I'll continue giving you my lovely stories! Until the next time, I wish bid you farewell!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Three: The Store is filled with Madness

Lelouch wasn't really keen on discussing the subject of his past but he had made a deal with Suzaku and planned to honor it; for the most part, any way. He would have to leave out a few key facts but it was simply the way the cookie crumbled. He couldn't tell this boy, a Son of Emil, that he had been alive for years upon years while maintaining his attractive face. The boy would never return, for one, and most likely call the boys in white scrubs to take him away. And then he'd be pumped full of drugs. _'Perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad thing,'_ He thought briefly before shaking his head. If C2 was around she would have scolded him for even thinking such a thing. She was quite a bit overprotective of his secrets, after all.

"So all I have to do is move this over here, divide this by this, and then finally multiply all of that by this," Suzaku mumbled absently as he scribbled something in his notebook. Lelouch watched curiously as the other worked on his math homework. He had already helped the boy with his English homework, and helped him a little bit with his pronunciation. He hadn't realized schools had begun giving out so much homework in this day and age.

"Well that's completely ridiculous," He sighed softly, speaking his mind absently. When he glanced up and saw the confused look on Suzaku's face he waved a hand about quickly. "I was just talking about how much homework they give you."

"Did your school give out less homework?" Suzaku asked interestedly, setting his pencil on his notebook in his lap. Lelouch debated on telling him the truth but then decided against it. He, again, didn't want to get his sorry butt locked in the happy house, even though the idea of getting all those free drugs was quite exciting.

"My school was… before the modern era of schooling. The headmaster and staff didn't really push us very far with our curriculum outside of the classroom," He explained quickly. He looked to the side and yawned lazily. _'That and the facts we had a lot less to learn when I was in school. That probably has something to do with it.'_ He thought calmly. The light dinging noise of the door opening caused the two males to perk up and look over.

A woman stood in the doorway. Her eyes were a pale blue, a color made that much more mesmerizing by the ruby color of her hair. It fell to her shoulders, the tips cut in spikes and points, and gently framed her pretty face. A scowl was on her pale lips. "Lelouch," She stated flatly as she walked in the rest of the way, the door shutting with another ding of the bell and a soft clicking noise. The young male chuckled lightly as he turned and pulled down a box.

"Hello there Kallen," He stated calmly, "are you here to get your usual order? I've got a new shipment for you and everything." He stated conversationally, pulling a small jar out and setting it on the table. It was filled with a strange dark blue liquid that looked to be very thick and sticky. A darker object was inside, surrounded by the strange gunk, and looked to be like a shrunken heart. "So is this good? It's a pure, full, honest-to-goodness black one."

"Why should I believe you? That last one you sold me gave me indigestion," She scoffed as she walked over, picking the jar up and examining the contents through the glass. She tapped at the glass with a suspicious scowl on her face. "When and where did you get this one?"

"Dug up the grave of a well known American criminal and took it out," Lelouch explained calmly, leaning his chin his hand and smirking at his suspicious customer. He held up his other hand and formed an "okay" symbol with his hands, a somewhat cocky grin turning up his lips. "Add a few spices and it'll be perfecto."

"If this one makes me as ill as the other one," She began warningly as she slapped a twenty dollar bill on the counter, "I'll come back and rip yours right out of your chest." She glanced at Suzaku, eyes narrowing dangerously. The young brunette could have sworn her eyes flashed a ruby red for a moment. She then looked back at the young cashier skeptically. "You're really risking your life here, aren't you?"

A somewhat annoyed smile took over the others handsome young face. He looked up as if tired with a small hint of rage in it. "Thank you for that little bit of advice, C2, but I think I'll continue doing as I like if that doesn't offend you too terribly," He answered coolly. Her face flamed, either with embarrassment or rage Suzaku didn't know. He wondered briefly what Lelouch's furry pet had to do with this girl, unless he was referring to a different C2, of course.

"I'm just trying to assure that you're safe, Lelouch," She sighed with clear annoyance, sending another glare the Japanese boy's way. She then shook her head again and picked up the jar. "I'll be back soon if this thing gives me anything, even the slightly twitch of heartburn." She warned darkly, glancing at the dark haired shop keeper over her shoulder. She then exited calmly, her walk brisk and hips swaying. A small look of disgust crossed Lelouch's face before he shook his head and pulled a small clipboard with papers attached from underneath the counter.

"So is she a regular customer or maybe a long time friend?" Suzaku asked politely. A small laugh came from Lelouch's pale throat and Suzaku couldn't help but notice how attractive the sarcastic smile on his lips made him seem. He then returned his attention to the shop keep, who was scribbling something down on his paperwork.

"She's a patron of the shop, often coming by to browse through my eccentric food items and the exotic scented goods I have," He stated calmly, setting the clipboard down and rummaging through the book. He calculated something before sitting back down and picking his clipboard back up. "She likes the muskier scented things best. Those ones are meant to help stimulate arousal and she tends to use them often when a special friend of hers comes by. Considering she didn't purchase any today, however, she either forgot or isn't expecting any romantic escapades soon." He chuckled lightly before putting the box back up on its spot on the back shelf.

"Huh… You sell really unusual things here," Suzaku commented as he stretched out his legs and arched his back. Lelouch noticed how a slim bit of the tanned, toned abdomen was revealed. A wave of lustrous thoughts plagued him for a moment before he tossed them aside. Having sexual desires toward a human, especially a Son of Emil, was dangerous. He quickly discarded the feelings, trying to keep them from returning to him, before nodding a bit.

"They seem very unusual to you but to me and my customers they're relatively basic," He answered calmly as leaned his chin in his hand and looked around his shop calmly. The place was starting to get a little too dirty. Lelouch liked the company of spiders and other insects as much as the next unique individual but even he knew it would not be so appealing to a few of his customers. It was, however, good at scaring away any other Children of Emil, Suzaku Kururugi aside. He found it just a tad bit eerie that the boy was not as disgusted by his surroundings as other Children of Emil normally were but it only left the a riddle to bounce around in the pale boy's head.

"That was quite rude of me to say, wasn't it? I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound so… insulting," The emerald eyed male stated quickly, a small apologetic smile turning up his lips. Lelouch bit back the impulse to scold the far too naïve boy. What did he need to apologize? It was simply his own opinion. Lelouch couldn't really complain or demand the given apology if it was how the brunette truly felt.

"You're too polite. You need to be a little bit more honest," He scoffed, rolling his eyes and looking off to the side. It was then, however, that a wicked plan began to brew and bubble in the back of Lelouch's mind. Children of Emil were to be the ultimate do-gooders, incapable of committing any severe sins. What if he could corrupt this boy's seemingly good heart? What if he could make this boy his own little slave and prove to those goody-two-shoes that sins could be committed by anyone? "I could help you, if you like. You shouldn't have to keep your feelings all bottled up to yourself." He stated with a small smile. Suzaku tilted his head, clearly confused by this offer.

"Thank you for the offer but if I was like that I would hurt people. Keeping it bottled up is a lot easier, for me anyway," Suzaku stated gently, holding up his hands in a defensive way. Lelouch raised an eyebrow at him as if he was completely daft. How could he be naïve, so concerned about the well fair of another person? He tossed it aside, deciding it was because the boy was a Son of Emil. The boy then looked at his watch and gaped. "Oh, wow, it's already so late! I'd better get out of your hair and get home!" He yelped in surprise, throwing his school items into his bag and darting off. Lelouch watched him go before releasing a small sigh. The shop was empty again, aside from the young shop keep, the spiders and the dust bunnies he was certain were conspiring against him beneath the counter. He let his mind drift and closed his eyes, a few old memories coming back and flickering to life on the back of his eyelids like an old movie projector.

…

He was still a little green at his job. He had only been working as the Lord of Night for almost fifty years now. He stared at his reflection in the cool babbling brook he had washed his face in. He looked the same as he did that first night, when he'd been stabbed by the Blade of Night. Fifty years had passed and while his precious younger sister was now an old maid, happily married and tending to grandchildren, he looked the same older brother of her youth. "Why do I not age? And why am I banished from seeing my sister?" He asked as he stood slowly, ignoring how a little bit of water dripped onto the collar of his shirt and dampened it. The little cat lounging lazily on a large rock a few feet away lifted on eyelid lazily was looked at him. She then closed her eyes, rolled over to perch on her belly and opened both her eyes, tail flicking behind her calmly.

"You do not age because you must live forever now. You may not visit your sister because she would be unable to handle the truth of what and who you are. If she were told the truth you'd be seen as a demon by both she and those who used to wait upon you hand and foot. To them you were once something akin to a king but as you are now they'd see you as a curse, as an evil being in need of death," She stated as she stood and stretched out her limps. Her eyes hardened on his, slipping into a glare. "Take my warning to heart, Lelouch. I do not speak to hear my own voice; do not test fate and your own dumb luck. I do not feel like pulling you from whatever trouble you'd create by giving your sister a visit as you are now." He nodded, promising to never disobey this rule. Too bad he had never been good at taking orders or listening to other people's warning.

…

Lelouch's eyes snapped back open and his entire body jolted as if he'd been electrocuted. His pulse picked up and he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. _'It was just a memory… It can't hurt me now… Nunnally… You can't hurt me now,' _He thought as calmly as he could, trying to relax his breathing. It was no easy task. He closed his eyes and fought back tears as the rage and pain from his own little sister's betrayal cut him up again. He stood and headed to the door, pulling a thin silver key from his pocket, and locked up the shop. He could hear the howling protests of quite a few customers outside in the dimming light of the sun. They had been scared off by the presence of the young Kururugi boy. He ignored their cries and retreated to his small room in the back.

One the small night side table next to his bed was a bottle with his favorite spirit inside. It was a smooth, rich beverage that burnt in a painfully pleasant way when it hit his belly. He sat on his bed, pulled the bottle to himself, yanked off the cork and chucked it across the room. It hit the wall with a soft, harmless plopping noise and he let out a hollow laugh and pointed at it. Was he going off the deep end? He wondered if it was possible before chuckling and taking a swig of his drink. Perhaps if he acted like this around Suzaku he could get that drug hook-up he'd been pondering over earlier.

A howling came to his window and he glanced over, seeing a few shadows trying to claw and climb their way into his room. He growled and glared at them, a fire beginning to grow in his stomach. Apparently his drink was doing what he had gotten it for. "Go! I'll do no business with any of you disgusting beggars now! Return in the morning with money and I'll help you!" He snapped angrily. The shadows were clearly not listening, considering they continued their frantic scramble. His rage grew more. "Get away from here! I'm not going to help any of you!" He screamed, flinging his bottle at the windowsill. It hit a bit bellow the wall and shattered, bits of glass and a crimson liquid splattering everywhere. The shadows paused, as if debating on listening to his warning or not, before they slowly crept away. Lelouch stood there for a moment before he fell to his knees and let out a low groan.

"I leave for a day and you're reduced to this? If you're going to have separation anxiety every time I'm away I may as well become a shut-in just like you," A female voice mocked a few feet away. He didn't even look up, his head tilted down a bit as he watched a large drop of red fluid glide down along the walls. "What would you do without me? You're lucky I decided to get some fresh stuff myself." She stated as she set a bottle next to him. It was an identical match for the one he had just destroyed. "You haven't been letting your mind wander again, have you? Lelouch, you know what that does to you."

"C2," He stated softly, his eyes remaining glued to stained wall, "why did I have to be the one to do all of this? Why was I the one he chose to be cursed like this? He could have picked one of the other two. It shouldn't have been dumped on me."

"I would agree if it was he who chose you but it wasn't. It was fate that decided you were the one to carry this great burden," She stated softly, keeping her tone emotionless. He nod slowly, his head still dipped level with the large red stain. She didn't move, speak or any other gesture. She knew he was crying, though his tears were of the silent variety. Despite his seemingly nonchalant attitude she knew he was truly very delicate. He had lived for centuries yet still held the heart and mind of a seventeen year old boy, even if he was a touch more intelligent and cynical than most.

End

What is wrong with Lelouch? What did Nunnally do to hurt him so? And what is a Son of Emil? Keep paying me with reviews and you'll find out eventually!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Four: Dreaming Causes Madness

Suzaku awoke at three in the morning drenched in sweat. For some reason he'd been plagued by an insane dream involving his father and Lelouch the shop keeper. It started with his father, in younger years, walking down a long street in what appeared to be Germany in the early 1900s. A look of rage and determination was set in stone with his eyes hard and dark on his father's face. He came to a halt in front of a small building where a silhouette rested on its back, one hand wrapped in the surrounding shadows draping down. "Are you the one who created all of this calamity?" His father asked darkly, glowering up at the figure.

"You give me too much credit, Emil," The sultry yet dry voice responded. Suzaku had recognized it as Lelouch before the other flopped over and propped on the roofs ledge on his side. His hair was a little bit longer than it was as Suzaku saw him, his bangs falling a bit farther into his half open and lazy eyes. "Not even I have the power to inspire a man such as Adolf Hitler to committing such horrendous genocide. And, to be frank with you, I don't like it any more than you do. Before you flutter down here, feathers all ruffled and ready to accuse me falsely, try checking into the background of the matter before getting as you are. God Himself knows I have no hand in this and have, much to my own slight disbelief, offered to help halt this atrocity from being carried on any longer. The death of so many people doesn't benefit either one of us. If good people die than my people can't feed and if good people die than Heaven becomes overrun. If anything, go pester Lucifer about the whole mess. He most likely knows something about it."

His father growled lightly. "And why should I believe someone like you, a Shadow Walker?" He asked with a small scoff. Lelouch flopped from his perch, landing gracefully on his feet and glaring at Suzaku's father, or Emil as he'd been called, levelly.

"I'd normally be inclined to agree with you given my history of lying to your face more times than not; however, this is something that spells disaster for all of us. Why would I do something that could get my people slaughtered? If you came up with the accusation that my people and I gave Hitler this insane idea, how many others of your people do you think have come to the same conclusion? And do you realize that some of those people would be less inclined to come ask me about it and just go start killing Shadow Walkers frivolously?" Lelouch's eyes glinted sharply as he spoke. Emil twitched and growled, clenching his fists. "Not that you really care. You see us Shadow Walkers as an abomination, just like the rest of your people. Now scurry away before I put a few scratch marks on your wings."

"Glad we cleared the air on that one," He scoffed flatly before turning and walking off. Lelouch watched him go, eyes filled with hate, before he himself turned and disappeared into the shadows around the small building.

Suzaku sat on his bed trying to see how his dream had come to be. It took place in the past, of that much he was sure, but that didn't make any sense. Lelouch was seventeen, eighteen or nineteen at the latest, and his father was old, but not old enough to have been a teenager during World War II. And even if it was possible his father had been around, Lelouch couldn't have been there. That was one thing he was absolutely positive about.

But what about the wings Lelouch had mentioned? Was he being literal or was that some kind of code? _'What does it even matter? It was just a dream, after all,'_ He thought, annoyed with himself for reading so far into it. A dream was a dream. Or, to quote that old Disney song "A dream is a wish your heart makes" but that was far from making any kind of actual sense when compared to Suzaku's given position. How could his heart want Lelouch and his father, the only man he could honestly say he hated, to ever meet? Lelouch's shop was a safe haven for the poor Japanese boy; none of his friends would follow him in to such a peculiar place. He wouldn't want his father to take that away from him like he took everything else.

He looked at the red neon letters flashing that it was five after three. He didn't have school so he could sleep in but he assumed sleep would not be coming by to visit him again on this night. After such a bizarre dream he'd not be able to relax and give in to the sandman's promises. He contemplated going out for a late walk. His mother wouldn't notice if he slipped away and he'd most likely be back just before she got up to get ready for one of her two jobs. Rolling out of bed and grabbing some jeans from the floor he began to throw himself together for an early morning walk.

…

Lelouch awoke from a fitful sleep of his own at the same hour. His, however, was not of his past in Germany; it was about his little sister's betrayal in London. It had been late when he decided to visit her. He knew C2 was wrong about her and that she'd just be happy to see her brother was alive and well. He would then be able to tell her everything about what had occurred and why. He walked into her flower shop shortly before closing, browsing through the roses. "Excuse me, sir, but can I help you?" She asked gently. Her voice was different than he remembered but he had known it would be. Years had passed for her, after all.

"It's good to see you again, Nunnally," He stated softly, turning to meet her gaze calmly with a smile. She blinked a few times, bemused, before he could tell the gears in her head were beginning to turn. She was matching his face up with how he looked when he disappeared. "It's been so long, little sister." He stated gently, extending his arms to embrace her. She did not, however, run to him in a cheerful flurry of emotion.

"H-How..? Y-You disappeared years ago! How can you look the same?!" She cried fearfully, stepping back and bumping into the cashier counter. He blinked before nodding and lightly patting at where his heart was.

"I became a Shadow Walker. You see, a Shadow Walker is an immortal being that lurks in the shadow and prays on human blood. Sort of like a vampire only not nearly as indestructible. We are created when an angel and a demon conceive a child on Earth, the middle ground for the two realms. You see, Nunnally, our father was-"He was cut off when she began screaming loudly, pulling a small can from under her counter and flinging the clear liquid inside all over him. He lifted an arm and took a small, cautious whiff out of confusion. It was gasoline, much to his own shock and horror. "No, Nunnally, you don't understa-"He was again cut off but this time by her bashing him across the skull with a rock that was used to separate her plants.

"How dare you take the form of my precious big brother, you accursed demon?!" She shrieked, voice high on a note of hysteria. He grabbed at the gash wound on his head, feeling warm blood ooze between his fingers, and looked up at her with terror and pain. His own little sister didn't believe him, didn't believe the truth of who he was. 'I'll get you out of his body; even if I have to burn his body to bones to free him!" She declared, pulling a match from her apron and shakily lighting it. He should have anticipated this. He knew Nunnally was a heavy believer in demons and the like. He also knew she'd pluck weeds from her garden and burn them in a pit fire every day before closing the shop. She had the means to severely hurt him but not kill him. The fear of that pain, however, was enough to force Lelouch to make his next move toward her.

And then his taloned hand was soaked in his own little sister blood, his hand pressed clean through her chest where her heart was. And just before she fell limp to the ground her lit match fell into a puddle of gasoline that trailed right to the leg of Lelouch's black trousers.

When Lelouch, body severely burnt and his skin crisp from the flames ravaging his body, returned to C2 she was less than pleased with him. She did treat his wounds and tend to his needs for the next month as he healed up. She brought him blood to help quicken the healing process, along with feeding him human food and drink to remind his internal organs of their proper functions. He never thanked her or apologized for disobeying her because they both knew he'd learned his lesson; Nunnally had betrayed him and he'd been forced to kill her to protect himself. That was all that needed to occur.

He glanced over at the cat contently curled up on the pillow next to his. She was the closest thing to a friend, lover, and relative he had now. Lelouch knew it was his duty to eventually produce an heir that would continue on with his work but for some reason he wasn't as eager about it as he should have been. He would first have to seduce an angel woman, who would bear a child that would have to mate with another angel to produce a pure of blood angel. And then, that angel would have to consent to mating with a pure of blood demon on Earth. And then, that child would be Lelouch's heir. But Lelouch was quite hesitant. He didn't wish this fate upon any one else and wasn't desperate enough yet to go through the whole painful process to gain his heir.

Another key element to this was that then Lelouch would become like C2. He was her heir, after all, and until he was filled to the brim with all her knowledge she had to live on in cat form. Once he was ready to rule the Shadow Walkers without her guidance she'd be free to die when she saw fit and by whatever means she was partial to. The young ebony haired male was not a fan of fur coats when he was human and continued to dislike them now. The thought of becoming wrapped in a permanent fur coat was another key factor that kept him from producing an heir to his throne.

He slipped out from under his comforter and slowly padded down the stairs to the entrance of the shop. He looked around at the dark room before pulling a match from his pocket and lighting a nearby candle. He watched the flame on the end of the wick flicker and dance about lively. He held no grudge toward fire for what had happened though he did become more cautious with it. He glanced up at the shop door and was alarmed to see Suzaku was standing there in jeans and a white jacket. His interest caught he slowly approached the door, unlocked the door and opened it far enough to poke his head out the door. "What are you doing here? The shop doesn't open for a few more hours,"

"I just needed to take a walk and some how I ended up here. I can go if you want," Suzaku replied sheepishly, a faint blush of embarrassment taking over his tan cheeks and looking off to the side awkwardly. This interested Lelouch even more; insomnia had lead Suzaku here, meaning this place was important to him. Feeling more generous than usual, the young shop keeper stepped aside and gestured for the other to walk in.

"You're lucky I'm in a mood to entertain. Otherwise I'd be calling the cops for harassment," He stated calmly before shutting and locking the door behind the brunette. He saw Suzaku shiver a bit when the lock clicked in to place, which he found interesting, but didn't comment on it. "I'll go make some tea for you or something. Just sit here by the counter and I'll be back in a moment." He mumbled before disappearing to the back.

Suzaku stood by the counter awkwardly, looking around the poorly illuminated shop curiously. It almost seemed that the darkness of the room was watching him though he saw no eyes or movement. It was almost as if he could sense the presence of something or someone lurking about. Lelouch returned a second later with a small clay tea cup and a clay tea pot with steam leaking out from the spout. "It's plain green tea. I hope you don't mind," He stated while pouring it in to the rim and setting the tea pot down.

"Thank you," Suzaku mumbled, blowing on the tip and taking a cautious sip. It was still relatively hot but he didn't really care. He watched as Lelouch reached upward on to the shelf behind the counter and pulled out a glass bottle and a wine glass. He filled the cup to the brim with the crimson fluid and took a small sip. "So I guess you're a fan of red wine?" Suzaku asked calmly. One dark brow rose slightly as he set the glass down.

"If you ask me questions now and I answer them you do realize that those will be your three questions for today, right?" He asked calmly. He was answered by a wordless nod. "Very well. I don't like very many wines but I do like this. It's a special wine for special individuals. My mother and father, on the other hand, were huge fans of wine. Any kind of wine was a gift to them. They would drink wine with the most noble of people during the most noble of celebrations or when they were just sitting at home. They would find any excuse to knock back a few glasses of wine. I guess I got my taste for it from them." He stated with a shrug. Oh yes, his parents had been fans of wine. Though one of them drank wine and the other drank the same special spirit as he did now. Not that he was going to announce that to the bright eyes, bushy tailed Son of Emil hovering near his counter. "Not that I hold that against either of them. This special wine of mine does have a certain kick to it that I find pleasurable. Keeps me balanced and well in the head."

"That sounds like something a serious alcoholic would say," Suzaku commented before taking another sip of his tea. It was a tad bit bland for his tastes but he wasn't going to mention it to Lelouch. He felt bad enough for sort of forcing his way inside and making the other feel obligated to make him a drink.

A small smirk turned up on Lelouch's lips. "That was a tad bit rude but also a tad bit truthful. Well played, worthy adversary," He hummed lightly before taking another sip of his beverage. Suzaku blushed again, seeming to suddenly realize that he his last remark was rather rude. Something about how the boy reacted made Lelouch want to continue poking fun at him. "It's fine, though. Feel free to be cruel when you speak to me. I kind of like the abuse." He chuckled, leaning forward with his chin in his hand and winking at him. Emerald orbs shifted away, his face turning a slightly deeper scarlet color.

"I'm sorry. That was way too rude of me, considering how hospitable you've been to me in the past week. I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful or anything," He babbled quietly, keeping his eyes fixated on his tea cup. Something about the way the young shop keeper spoke and phrased things sent Suzaku all a twitter on the inside. He blinked, his dream suddenly snapping back into his mind and he looked up. "Oh! Have you ever been to Germany before, Lelouch?" He asked.

"No," Lelouch answered flatly. Where had such a question come from? And how did Suzaku known to ask him that question? He felt a small pang of concern but decided that he could lie through his teeth about it. He had always been good at lying, after all.

"Oh, I see," Suzaku mumbled lightly, feeling a small bit of disappointment. Perhaps if Lelouch had been to Germany it could help clear up whatever Suzaku had dreamt.

"I have been to other places, though," Lelouch added calmly, swirling his drink in his glass a bit. He may as well throw the poor dog a bone so he wouldn't be completely crushed by his question not receiving a real answer. "I was born and raised in London. It was certainly very different than here. I personally prefer Japan, though. Everyone in London was so dull and drab when I lived there; I've always been a fan of fast paced locales. Tokyo just happened to be where I visited first and decided I liked." He stated calmly with a small nod. Life in London had been horrific; especially after the incident with Nunnally. He had gone with C2 to other places all over the globe. He stayed in Germany up until the middle of the Second World War when the condition of the country became too much for Lelouch to tolerate. He had tried to convince his people that lived there to flee with him, but they refused his suggestion to run. They said that, despite how hard it was to get blood that would fill them up and that the senseless killing was nauseating to even them, they would tough it out and help the angels that were trying their best to end the violence. They said that they would do it for him. He spent the last years of the war in America. Shortly after that he fled to Japan after hearing about the bomb dropped there. He needed to make sure that the Shadow Walkers in Japan hadn't been completely wiped out by the toxic things in the nuclear arms. And it was here, in Japan, he had remained until the new millennium and beyond. "I just think that Japan is one of the better locations I've decided to reside in. It was a good decision to come here."

"How old are you?" The question didn't necessarily catch Lelouch by surprise. Considering how long he'd yammered on about going here and there he should have anticipated it. He was not, however, in the mood to answer it honestly or lie about it.

"I think it's time you got home. You wouldn't want your mother worrying over you, considering you've run off at such an early and dark hour," He stated as he stood. Suzaku blinked a bit, heading to the door with the amethyst eyed male.

"What do you mean?"

"Three o'clock in the morning is known as the witching hour, when all things wicked and dark slip out and attack the innocent. I would want you getting hurt because I kept you up talking," He stated calmly as he unlocked and opened the door. Suzaku gave a small wave then started down the side walk. Lelouch noticed a thin, black mist beginning to hover toward the retreated Son of Emil. "Don't even think about it. He has done nothing to offend or threaten me, Kallen." He stated evenly. Pale powdery eyes appeared from the fog and glanced at him, a murky white film covering the eyes. "You know better than to attack someone I've awarded my blessing, don't you?" He stated before turning back into the store and relocking the door. He watched her, debating on whether to follow his order, before she lifted off toward the sky and over the store roof. He smiled to himself, glad she had decided to follow the orders of her prince.

End

This chapter was not merely filler or fluff; it was a chapter for character development! I'm sorry but in the past I've been accused of writing filler chapters and it gets on my nerves. Every chapter I write has a purpose, other than just getting to entertain you all with my insane babblings and concepts, even if it doesn't seem like it. I like writing that has development between characters and their relationships with one another; this is just a chapter meant to give you all a little bit of Lelouch's background as to why he has become who he is now. I'm sorry if you were surprised that I threw that out there but I felt I had to. I didn't want any of you thinking I was just trying to fill up chapter spaces and get reviews for doing nothing of real significance to the plot. Any way, please review and give me your opinions! Ciao!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Five: Questions Gone Mad

After catching another five hours of sleep, which Suzaku was surprised he got, he took a shower, changed into a fresh pair of clean clothes and headed back to Lelouch's shop. It was open this time and Lelouch was seated at his counter calmly, another glass of wine in hand. It was now that Suzaku thought about how peculiar it had been that the other was drinking wine at three o'clock in the morning. "You're an early drinker, aren't you?"

"I drink when I feel the mood is right, actually," The other answered calmly, shaking the cup a bit and watching the red liquid slosh about in the glass. He then glanced up and gave the other a small smirk. "So I guess that does make me an early drinker, considering I'm normally not in the mood to drink unless the moon's still shining with the stars close by. I guess they're my favorite drinking partners." He chuckled lightly. Suzaku blinked a bit, understanding shimmering in his jade orbs.

"So you're a night owl," He commented calmly. Lelouch glanced at him while sipping his drink, his mind heavy with a thought. If it hadn't been for the fact that the young shop keep was a night owl the other may not be alive right now. He knew Kallen well, and knew that she'd kill anyone she felt could be a threat to the young heir. He didn't feel that Suzaku, despite being a Son of Emil, was a severe danger as long as Lelouch could get the other boy pressed neatly under his thumb. And, of course, as long as that contemptible fool Emil remained in hiding. "Sorry. Was that rude of me to say?"

"It wasn't and even if it had been I wouldn't have cared," The other answered easily before downing the remaining contents of his glass. The last gulp held a certain bitterness that Lelouch found quite a bit annoying. It meant that the blood was going stale, along with every other bottle the boy had managed to collect over the years. C2 was still asleep upstairs and he knew that if he didn't have another glass soon he'd be left weak for the day, which was not something he could risk. Even if the angels tailing him seemed to have disappeared he didn't want to be caught off guard, in case that was what the sinister things were waiting for.

"Is something wrong?" Suzaku asked gently, noticing the way the other's brows had pressed together. He looked like he was thinking about something he found enraging or inconvenient. "Is there something wrong with you wine?"

A thought suddenly struck Lelouch and a devious plan began to brew in his mind. He pulled out the bottle he'd poured the first glass from and refilled it to the brim. "I think it tastes a little bizarre but I need a second opinion. Would you?" He asked, offering the other the glass. Suzaku blinked, seeming unsure and nervous, before slowly taking the thin neck of the glass. "Even if you've never had it before you should be able to tell."

"Are you sure? I'm not old enough to drink yet," Suzaku stated softly, looking at the glass worriedly. Lelouch felt a small twinge of annoyance with the others inability to do as he asked but was smart and kept it hidden from showing on his face. "I don't want you getting in trouble for offering alcohol to a minor, after all."

"I'll make you a deal then, Suzaku; if you'll take just a single sip of this wine I'll answer as many questions as you feel like asking while you're here today. Does that sound fair enough?" He asked calmly, leaning back in his chair a bit as he spoke. He could tell by the glint that came to those eyes that he had succeeded at trapping the other. Suzaku's curiosity was definitely playing to Lelouch's advantage in this case. Lelouch needed his answer to the newfound loophole in his mind. If Suzaku passed this little test it would decide what the young prince was going to do next.

"Well, I guess if it's a fair trade. But I'm not going to take any more than a little sip," Suzaku stated sternly, beginning to bring the drink to his lips.

"I wouldn't want you to take more than a meager sip," Lelouch stated with a gentle smile on his face. On the inside, however, he was dancing about like a happy fool. Suzaku suddenly put the glass a few inches from his lips and looked at the other again, his face serious and determined.

"And after I take just this one little sip and give you my opinion you'll answer any questions I want to ask today? And it can be more than just the usual three?" He asked cautiously. Clearly Suzaku was smarter than Lelouch had previously accredited him; he hadn't thought the other was going to make sure both ends of the deal would be held up.

"Yes, of course," Lelouch stated quickly, withholding a low pitched growl from breaking out. He didn't have time to play games with the young man before him. The other seemed to hear a bit of the edge in Lelouch's voice and looked at the glass skeptically. "Look, I'm sorry if I sounded a bit harsh there but I paid a lot of money for this wine. If it ends up not being as good as I was assured I'd like to try and get my money back. That or a bottle that actually tastes right. Now try a sip and I'll answer any questions about me that you have." He stated gently, keeping his voice light and conversational. He just had to make the other feel sympathetic toward him. Suzaku's mouth formed an 'O' shape and he nodded his head in understanding. Lelouch smiled at him gently, smirking on the inside, because his quickly thought up story was a success and the other was finally raising the glass to his lips, parting them and permitting a small trickle passage into his mouth.

At first the cold beverage didn't have a taste to the young brunette. It simply felt like something cold with the texture of water was floating in his mouth. After a second, however, he could taste it and it was pretty good. He didn't really know how to describe the taste, similar to some sweet treat being melted down and chilled in to a fine liquid, but he liked it. He swallowed quietly, preparing to tell Lelouch he didn't taste anything off, when he tensed up. A revolting after taste was sticking to his tongue, almost burning his taste buds with its potency. It was a metallic taste and left his tongue feeling like it was on fire. He coughed a bit, hurriedly setting the glass back down. "Is it supposed to leave that weird, burning taste behind?" He asked slowly, trying to cover up his discomfort.

"No, and that is what's so strange about it all," Lelouch grumbled before taking the glass back and sipping it. He made a sour face, his nose scrunching up in discomfort, before putting the glass down with a heavy sigh. "So now I'll have to get a hold of something that actually tastes right, which will surely be more trouble than I'm a fan of. I don't see why it all has to be so damn complicated and nerve racking." He stated flatly, examining the bottle carefully. There was no label and the bottle was fashioned with a very dark blue glass, making it impossible to stare into, which made Suzaku wonder what exactly Lelouch was hoping to accomplish by glaring down at the bottle. Perhaps he wanted to make it combust, or use his intimidating glare to scare it into shifting and tasting the way he'd been expecting it to. Then, with a small snort, Lelouch set the bottle back down with a bit more force than necessary. "No matter. I'll get things done my way in the end and that's all that really matters to me anyway."

"So you're a narcissist? Or are you a manipulator?" Suzaku's voice was calm and level but there was a small trickle of bitterness beneath all of it. Both boys looked at one another, emerald and amethyst wide with surprise, at the attitude seeming to suddenly take hold of the usually polite brunette. Tanned skin became a dusty pink, making the flesh almost gleam golden. "What's gotten in to me today?! I'm so sorry! I'm not normally this rude to other people!" He apologized quickly. A low, grumbling laugh erupted from Lelouch. For some reason the sound made Suzaku want to say or do something, worried that maybe the laugh was so warped because of some illness, but he instead reminded silent.

"I've been telling you to open up and speak freely when you're here," He stated, waving his arms in the air to indicate the dreary backdrop they were set in. He then lightly covered his mouth with the back of his hand, still chuckling to himself and trying to cover it up, while his other arm dropped back to his side. His eyes glinted in a dangerous yet excited way, the pupils becoming thinner slits and the violet lightening around the edges to an almost silver tint. It was intoxicating yet horrific at the same time; Suzaku found himself unable to look away. "I'll answer your questions from just now, despite your fear that they insult me. Am I a narcissist? I'd like to think so. I only think and do things for myself. When I sign myself in to help someone else or to do something there has to be some kind of prize in it for me or I'll simply brush the person and their offer aside. Am I a manipulator? Considering the fact that I'm a narcissist it only makes sense I be that as well. The two do seem to go hand in hand, don't you think?" He asked lightly, his hand moving aside to reveal a sadistic looking smirk. Suzaku didn't like how Lelouch's face looked at the give moment, fearing that he'd hit a sore spot and led to the other having a mental breakdown, but he also wasn't afraid for his safety. Something told him that Lelouch would not get violent, physically or otherwise, with him.

"You aren't necessarily either one of those things, Lelouch," He stated gently, "if you think about it in a different way. There's another word for people like you; opportunist. That's the one thing I noticed about your explanation about why you are those other two things. Just because you do something because it'll benefit you in the long run doesn't mean that you're self obsessed or that you deceive others. So what if you always see how something can better your situation before committing to it? Almost everyone in the world does that. It's one of the most basic things humans know how to do." He explained with a sweet, innocent grin. The look on the young Japanese boy's face both repulsed and attracted Lelouch. He had never thought it possible that he harbor anything other than loathing for a Son of Emil but he apparently did. His instinct as the prince of the shunned told him two things; to either stay far away from Suzaku, for he could be their undoing, or to feed off of the boy's own feelings of rejection. He knew that Emil, or Genbu as this boy knew him, had told a false story to cover his tracks when he fled back to Heaven. Suzaku had been shouldering his emotions by himself; among them was the ten year old boy wondering why he wasn't good enough to keep his father from doing bad things and abandoning the family. That part of Suzaku, the very weak and vulnerable part, was his ticket to getting the young boy on his side.

The thought of forcing Suzaku to face up to those feelings and become a creature of the dark, however, was not so appealing to Lelouch. As it stood he decided it best to build a stronger relationship with Suzaku before attempting such a feat. The high school student was nowhere near ready to hear the truth of their blood and what they were destined to be to one another. 'But if not now, how long must I wait? And what if Emil should return before I have a chance to intervene? There are over twenty different possibilities, all linking back to four initial responses. I can act now, I can prolong it, I could kill Suzaku here and now, or I could flee with my tail between my legs. But which one would be my best bet to assure my long term goals are met?' He wondered to himself, watching Suzaku examine a snow globe on a shelf that showed a spooky cemetery with large red letters spelling out Transylvania inside, and toyed with the question of how those jade orbs could hide so many various things from the surface. Eyes were said to be a window to the soul. Why was this boy so difficult to read, then? His body language was a minimalistic help as well. And, since the boy carried no sins on his heart, he was free of Lelouch's ability to tap into the moments a sin was committed and see what had inspired it all.

"But what do you think about it?" Suzaku asked suddenly, snapping Lelouch from his thoughts. He glanced up, violet eyes filling with curiosity while one brow rose in question. Suzaku huffed a bit, put off by Lelouch's inattentiveness, but looked at him with a gentle gleam in his eyes. "I was just saying that I think you should help me with a bit of studying. If I want to get a full ride on that trip I told you about I have to have straight A's and English is the only class I'm not perfect in. I'm not really getting the whole L-R thing." He explained calmly, his L-R phrase coming out as R-R instead. Lelouch sighed lightly and leaned back in his chair, trying to think of a way to explain the concept to the young Japanese boy. Lelouch had not been gifted with a keen sense of patience or compassion; he was just very good at spotting opening he could take advantage of.

"How about we try a few practice exercises to see if you can at least understand the language? If you can comprehend something it's easier to do yourself," He suggested calmly while taking another sip of his wine. The bitter after taste almost felt like some kind of forewarning to the sharp tongue of the young male, though he pretended it was just his own sense of disappointment filling his mouth.

…

'_How did I get suckered in to this again?'_ Lelouch wondered as he twirled the umbrella poised above him casually. The sun was setting but he still didn't want to have to deal with the slight headache the light would leave him with. He glanced at Suzaku, who was happily licking at an ice cream cone he'd purchased for himself at a small booth they'd passed._ 'When I suggested we practice his English I didn't mean for us to practice it while walking about town.' _He cursed to himself bitterly, taking in a deep breath to try and smooth his ruffled feathers back down. He hated walking around the streets before nightfall because it was physically painful to him.

"Why did you bring the umbrella when there isn't a cloud in the sky?" Suzaku asked, seeming to finally notice that the umbrella had been up for roughly fifteen minutes; or rather, since they'd left Lelouch's shop despite his protests. Something in the wondrous and curious glint sparking in Suzaku's eyes stirred Lelouch mind, pushing at something. It was as if there was an obvious connection he was supposed to be making between this moment and another in his long line of memories. He forced it aside, wincing a bit from the pain the sunlight that had slipped under the rim of his umbrella caused, before tilting the umbrella down to block it and meeting Suzaku's gaze. He stopped to meet the other boy's gaze a bit easier.

"I have a rather poor reaction to the sun. I have many… Resentment issues toward it," He explained while giving Suzaku's cone a curious look. The boy had decided to get a swirled mixture of chocolate and vanilla, claiming that the two flavors tasted unfulfilled without one another. Lelouch found it ironic that the boy liked the mixed treat and also liked spending time with the raven haired mutt, who was a mix between good and evil. "It's dripping over the cone and on to your fingers." He stated casually before beginning to walk again. Suzaku made a small noise and quickly pattered back next to him. He was holding up his hand to lick off the thin trickle that had made it down his fingers. Lelouch pulled out a napkin, which he had cleverly snatched while Suzaku watched the worker make his cold treat for him, and offered it to him. "Really, you should try to pay more attention when trying to talk, eat ice cream and walk all in the same instance. What would you have done if I hadn't pointed it out to you?" He scolded flatly, eyes closed as he walked.

"Hey, we're at my house!" Suzaku stated in surprise, balling the used napkin up using his fist. Lelouch felt his eye twitch a bit from annoyance as he skid to a stop a few steps ahead of the flakey brunette.

'_You weren't even listening to me, were you?!'_ He thought angrily as he turned to face the building before him. It was a small, some what run down looking apartment building. He blinked a few times, as if assuring himself that it wasn't just some insane, bizarre trick of the light. It remained the same the whole time, much to his own disbelief. He knew, just by the scent following the young boy, that his life wasn't the best. C2 had followed him and confirmed that Emil was no where to be found, while his human wife and half blood child were still very much alive. She had not, however, told him the condition of the household. "This is where you live?" He asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

"We used to live in a really nice house but my dad was in debt with the yakuza. He wasted all our money gambling then ran off and left my mom and me to pay of his bills. Now my mother works two jobs and I never get to see her anymore," Suzaku stated softly, his voice becoming bitterer as he spoke. Lelouch resisted the urge to laugh. The thought of Emil gambling on anything was hilarious and, for those who knew who Emil really was, it was a ludicrous lie.

"My sincerest apologies," Lelouch stated levelly, staring at the drab, gloomy curtains that dangled in front of each window. It almost seemed like the perfect place for someone like him to live in, aside from the one window with the bright white curtains. They were frilled and elegant and disgusting in Lelouch's opinion.

"You really don't mean that, do you?" Suzaku asked, tilting his head so he could meet Lelouch's gaze. The other jolted up a bit and blinked, baffled at Suzaku's movements. "It's like you said before at the shop, right? You aren't sincerely sorry for my condition because you had no hand in it and my being poor doesn't really hold any deeper meaning you can profit off of. It just means that I sleep in a crappy apartment when I'm not bothering you at your shop." Lelouch smirked a bit as he glanced back at the one window veiled in white. Suzaku was much smarter than he had accredited the young boy for being previously, which he found quite refreshing. He disliked being in the company of morons; even if morons were oft times easier to manipulate than the well educated.

"So which one of these windows is to your humble abode?" He asked just as a strange, painful jolt zapped up his spine. He bit his cheek to resist the urge to cry out or wince, not wanting to reveal he was in pain. A wind blew between them and a familiar scent caught Lelouch's attention. Rose water, plumage and the thick scent of recently burnt sage. A scent all too familiar to the ebony haired male.

"The window with the white curtains. They were a wedding gift to Rin and I," A deep, masculine voice boomed angrily behind them. The two young boys whipped around to see Genbu Kururugi standing before them, a scowl on his dignified face.

End

So where do we go from here?! It's a surprise! Until next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Six: Arrivals of Madness

On the inside Lelouch was trembling like a leaf in the wind. This always happened when Emil came too close; how had he permitted the damned fool to get so close to him without detecting his approach before the pain? He assumed that it was because of Suzaku; the boy had distracted him with their shared hate for the man now in their presence. Genbu looked between the two males, one with clear joy and the other with pure distain covered with intrigue. "A new friend of yours, Suzaku?" He asked calmly, his deep voice gliding up Lelouch's spine like a razor. He was grand at hiding the pain by forcing a blank look on his face.

"Yeah," Suzaku stated flatly, "and what do you care for all of a sudden? You haven't been around for hom long now?! Mom and I have been living check to check, I never see her anymore, and then you come parading up pretending it never happened?! And you must have some nerve to ask about my friend as if he's some juvenile delinquint!" Lelouch watched Suzaku with acute interest, focusing on that rather than the pain coursing in his veins. He knew that Suzaku was resentful toward his father but he hadn't expected such venom, such fire. He found this display wonderfully delicious and he was filled with a want for Suzaku in private.

"It wouldn't be too surprising to me if he was," The older male grunted out honestly. That was something Lelouch had always found distasteful about angels like Emil; they were always telling the truth unless given special privaligies. He had watched as two demons kept a new angel down, telling the rookie to tell a lie or lose a wing. The angel, in tears, begged them to stop and told them that it was a sin to lie without permission. He watched as they ripped one snowy white wing off, had listened to the pained screams, and then, when he took the angel back to Emil, what was his reward? Certainly not something of real gratitude, that was for sure.

"Lelouch is actually a respectable, responsible young business owner!" Suzkau retorted quickly. The ebony haired male twitched a bit, the pain giving a quick jolt and Suzaku's words snapping him back to attention. Genbu smirked dryly and eyed the young male skeptically. There was quite a bit of mocking in those dark brown eyes.

"Oh really?" He asked lightly. Lelouch smirked, a wince slipping pact his guard.

"You'll have to come by sometime," He responded in a soft hiss, a small trickle of pain slipping into his words. He silently cursed his luck and the angel looking far too smug before him. "I have things of legend, like the head of a dead angel in a jar that is said to bring luck. Or a jar of the blood of an angel who let herself be tainted by a charming young demon that, they say, will wash your sin away." It was all an elaborate, and realistic, bluff that he knew would not be wasted on Emil. The humor left those dark eyes and the small smirk turned into a flat line. Rage flashed for a second before simmering back down to a modest and well-concealed flicker.

"We do not believe in such frivilous, superstious things," He stated sternly, glaring a bit. On the inside Lelouch laughed and celebrated before the pain intensified and his whole body shuddered violently.

Suzaku jolted up and looked over, emerald orbs wide with concern, at the paler male. "Is something wrong, Lelouch?" He asked worriedly, holding his arms toward him nervously. He didn't know what exactly to do.

"Yeah, sorry. I just get very ill if I spend too much time outside," He stated with only a sliver of pain making it through. He had a plan brewing that he knew would both infuriate Emil and thrill Suzaku. He did, after all, know that a key part of infatuation was lust. If he could hit Suzaku in the department of desire he'd have an easy enough time then pressing him into a crush. He then leaned ver and gently rested his forehead on to Suzaku's shoulder. "I guess I spent too much time out. I'm going to head home but you'll come by tomorrow, right, Suzaku?" He askwed, looking up slowly with a pathetic needy look in his eyes. He watched a fine pink dust sprinkle along the other male's tanned face and bit back a smirk. _'It's almost too easy.'_ He thought with an air of smugness.

"O-Of course I'll come by tomoorrow to see you! I'll come by after class for tutoring and to make sure you're feeling better," He said quickly, a cute little grin coming to his lips. Lelouch smiled, nodded, and stepped back. He slowly brought the umbrella back over himself and twirled it a bit, as if trying to get off any foreign objects. He gave a little wave before trotting off down the street. Suzaku watched him go, knowing his face was undoubtedly alive with a blush, and wondered why he was so flustered at all.

...

Cici was disturbed from her peaceful sleep by the sound of someone retching in the nearby bathroom. _'What did he do now?'_ She thought angrily as she stretched and yawned. Her back popped a little in her furry little bottle and her tail swished back and forth slowly. She sat up, walked slowly toward the door then tensed up, her tail fluffing out like a feather duster. "The tracker they put in you! Emil returned?!" She hissed loudly.

After a few more seconds of coughing she was given a response. "The bastard showed up today and his tracker started jolting my spine. I was lucky to make it back here without barfing all over the streets and the people wandering around," He panted back hoarsely. Angelic trackers were different than most. Angelic trackers were made using a feather from the angel planning to use the tracker. The tracker was then shoved into the intented target between the shoulder bones and would send an electric charge up the spinal column whenever the angel whose feather was used was close to the target. Angelic trackers were, however, only used for people the Angelic Council considered an extreme danger. And with all the speculations that Lelouch had been a part of the terrible genocide in Germany a few decades ago he was considered quite the terrible criminal. "If I could get this damned thing out my life would be so much better." He mumbled bitterly.

Cici sighed lightly and nodded, looking off to the side. "Yes, you're quite right about that. But for now let's think of a way to rob that fool of his wings," She stated softly.

End

Sorry this chapter was so short! I promise I'll make it up to you as soon as possible! Well, that's all for now (sadly) but there will be more soon enough! I promise!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Seven: Pain-Induced Madness

The loud crash of breaking bottles, followed by a small splashing noise, echoed within the small shop. Still in her cat form, C2 sat atop the front counter and watched the frantic, wild movements of her young charge. The pain was taking it's toll on his frail body and beginning to pull at the little frayed edges of his mind, where Lelouch was his weakest and most vulnerable. Angels may have been the beings under God but they could be as unforgiving and wicked as Satan's minions. "Lelouch, please calm down," She stated in her calm, smooth voice. It's usually enough to relax the boy; this time it just seems to make him that much more feral.

"I need... I need something fresh! All of this won't fucking do!" He snapped wrathfully, flinging the bottle crate from it's spot on the very top of the shelves. The large cardboard square tumbles over and all the bottles inside shatter, crimson fluid leaking out through the flimsy and now wet sides. It looked as if the cardboard box was the victim of some brutal crime. Lelouch sunk down to his knees, panting softly and staring down at the clean tile before him. His feet smudge some blood, making a red smear near his feet. "Why don't I have anything fresh? Why?"

"Calm down and we'll find a way to handle this. I'm sure I can find someone who can get you something good in no time," She stated gently, standing up and pacing along the top of the counter. Names and faces flash before her eyes but none of those people would work at getting what Lelouch now needs. Kallen would find blood too tainted; Ohgi would find blood with too much of one sin and not enough of the others in it. She stopped suddenly. Perhaps the blood of a clean soul would soothe the savage pains caused by none other than a sinless soul. Suzaku Kururugi seemed to be her only option in that department; the boy clearly had feeling for her charge and had not yet been tricked into committing any sin. "I'm going out to get someone useful for us. While I'm gone I want you to clean this mess up and try to pull yourself together. You're being completely embarassing." She said with a small, smug smirk. He didn't responde but she knew he'd tend to business in her absense.

...

Suzaku flopped over on his bed, trying to block out the sounds of his mother's giggles and his father's chuckles. When his mother had returned home and seen his father she had sobbed in joy, latching on to the man happily. Now the two were acting like some newly wed couple, staying very close and whispering sweet nothings in one another's ears. He'd been so dsgusted by the display that he went back to his room after finishing dinner. _'Mom finally has a day home and instead of getting to spend time with her that bastard shows up,' _He though spitefully. He felt a small pang of guilty, knowing that he shouldn't be so bitter. After all, his mother hadn't been this happy since his father had fled and abandoned them. And even though he hated his father, he shouldn't let it put a dent in his relationship with his mother.

It was just so hard to not be resentful of the man. Suzaku's mother was always tired, always working, always miserable and then he shows back up and acts like he never left. Genbu Kururugi had no sense of responsiblity, Suzaku decided, and would never admit his blame. He'd never apologize for dragging his family through poverty, gossip and mockery and Suzaku knew that his mother would never press to get one. She was too loving, too fogiving, and it was one of her best qualities, as well as one of her worst.

A strange yowling noise echoed against his window, causing Suzaku to jump from his thoughts with a start. He glanced over and spotted Lelouch's bizarre cat meowing and pawing at the glass seperating them. "What are you doing here, kitty?" He mumbled lightly as he opened the window, not remembering the cat's name. "Did Lelouch even ever tell me your name, little kitty?" He asked casually. The cat let out a low pitched growl, reached over with one paw, and tugged at the long sleeve of his shirt. He blinked a bit. "Is something wrong?" He asked softly, fear beginning to creep into his throat. The look the cat flashed his way was that of agreement, he could tell. "Did something happen to Lelouch?" He asked, panic making his voice rise a little in volume. The cat answered with a small meow before releasing his sleeve and climbing down, hopping to the fire escape some distance from Suzaku's window.

It was a pretty far jump for a human to make. Suzaku didn't like to brag but he was aware of the fact that he was an excellent athlete. But could he really jump over to the fire escape, which was at least twenty feet from his window, and hoope to get away unscathed? If he landed funny he could twist his ankle or break his leg. If he missed the escape all together he'd undoubtedly snap his neck. He couldn't leave through the front door, either; his mother didn't permit him to go out after eight. He slipped back into his room, locked his bedroom door and headed back to the window. Lelouch was in desperate need of help, he could feel it in his bones, and he was certain that he was the only one who could help.

He stepped on to the thin windowsill carefully, clutching the bottom of his upstair neighbors windowsill tightly. He reached his leg out, to see if maybe he could climb across with the windows. Sadly, his neighbors did not leave their windows open, despite being on one of the upper floors. He closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, opened his eyes again, and jumped forward. He threw his arm out and grabbed the bottom of the escape, the iron platform where the person on was to stand, and held on for his dear life as his body swayed roughly from the effort he'd put in. He waitied until his body stopped before pulling himself up, putting one hand on one of the red iron gate poles as he hoisted himself up and over the top on to the platform, looking down at the little cat. She hopped down the steps and he followed quickly, worry making his heart feel heavy and his steps a bit quicker than usual.

...

Genbu perked up after Rin fell asleep. He glanced at her sleeping form and smiled a bit to himself. She had always been such a beautiful, sweet girl. Even in college, when he first pretended to be a new transfer student from Kyoto looking to get a degree from Tokyo University. She had eagerly taken him under her wing, showed him where his classes and all the cool hang out spots were, adn had supported him even after he'd gathered his bearings. It was because of this selfless attitude that he decided that she would be a wonderful mother to his child. He wanted his successor to be strong yet caring, so as they'd be best equipt to deal with Lelouch and the scum of the earth that he ruled over. He was not, however, in love with Rin; angels were not permitted to prefer humans over one another.

He stood and stretched, readjusting to his older human form and how his bones ached. He was not used to this, due to his usual body being much more youthful and better for moving than this one. He aproached Suzaku's bedroom door and gave a tentative little knock. "Suzaku?" He called gently. He was answered by silence. He sighed. "Suzaku, please answer me. We need to have a serious talk." He said in a more stern tone of voice. He pressed his hand to the door and froze, his whole body tensing up. Suzaku's pressense was absent from the room; he could tell because of his ability to sense life behind walls and doors. He growled and silently cursed Lelouch before heading out in search of his son.

...

Lelouch glanced up, peaking through his fingers as the little bell of the shop dinged, annoucing an arrival into his shop. He watched, violet eyes widening a bit, as Suzaku walked in. Concern was etched on his handsome young face as he quickly approached. _"I brought you a meal, Lelouch. Now eat and regain some of your strength,"_ C2 stated bluntly. Lelouch's hands began trembling terribly as he tried to relax and regain himself. He jolted up when warm fingers stroked the side of his face, causing his arm to slip away. Suzaku's warm, calloused hand gently cupped either side of his face, forcing him to look up.

"Lelouch, are you all right? Did somthing happen?" He asked fretfully. The ebony haired male blinked a bit before letting his eyes slid close and letting his head hang in Suzaku's grasp. It felt nice to let go but he also knew his thirst, his need, was going to ruin the moment if he wasn't careful. He could not yet reveal everything to Suzaku; not without his carefully thought out plan being ruined, at least.

"Yes, Suzaku, I'm okay," He forced out in a trembling voice. A thought struck him suddenly, something he'd forgotten about in his state of delirium. "I just... I'm not doing too well. I spent too much time outside today."

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pressed you to stay out with me for so long," Suzaku whimpered softly, voice flooded with guilt. He was answered by a brief, weak wave of a hand from the other male.

"Don't worry about it. I just need you to do me a favor real fast," He stated softly, flashing the paniked male a gentle, tired smile. "If you go behind that black current there will be a staircase and an open door. If you go into the door and clap the lights will turn on and you'll be in the kitchen. On top of the fridge is a bottle of wine. Cna you grab that and a glass for me? There should be glasses on a towel next to the sink." He explained calmly. The brunette nodded before darting off to follow through with the request. C2 took his absense to jump on the counter and growl at her charge.

_"What are you thinking? You need something fresh to fight off that damned angel's curse! And what could be more fresh than the blood pulsing in that boy's veins?" _She snapped indignantly. A lazy smirk spread across Lelouch's face and a small chuckle came from him. _"This isn't a laughing matter, you fool! If you don't drink his blood you'll have to deal with that pain for much longer than we both know you can tolerate!"_

A scowl came to mar Lelouch's face and he narrowed his eyes a bit at the growling cat before him. "And would it be better for him to learn everything now, then? I have a plan that will only work if I can build his trust up some more. I draw and drink his blood and any trust between he and I will be forever tarnished. Is that what you want?" He asked in a low voice, panting a bit and fighting back shakes of pain. The growling was silences and amber eyes shifted off to the side. "That's what I thought. Now let me work this out and see how far I can take this before giving anything away."

_"I still think you're a fool but I shall leave you to your own devices and go spend my time elsewhere. Call me if you should need me again. I need a little vacation away from you,"_ She said before trotting off just as Suzaku walked back in, carrying the glass and bottle Lelouch had mentioned. He watched the cat disappear upstairs withoout a sound, aside from the soft plopping noise of the pads of her paws as she hopped up the staircase.

"I got your wine for you," He said calmly as he walked over, setting the bottle and glass in front of the trembling raven. With a shaky hand Lelouch yanked out the cork and poured the red liquid into the glass. He would have simply chugged it straight from the bottle but he did have some degree of respectability he had to keep up so that the young Japanese high school student wouldn't be appalled by his manner. Suzaku watched his movements calmly, taking note of how Lelouch's shaking reduced slightly after he took a good gulp of wine. "Have you considered going into a rehabilitation clinic? Needed wine as much as you do isn't really healthy." He commented politely.

"I thought you weren't so rude as to point out another person's short coming and commenting on how to correct the flaw?" Lelouch asked bluntly before taking a smaller sip of the win, the pain beginning to subside as the somewhat fresh fluid made it's way into his system, warming his body. He watched with a calm gaze as Suzaku pressed out a frantic apology. He looked off to the side. "You don't need to apologize. Those kinds of comments are fine to make here. I've taken worse hits to my ego than that."

"Would you be willing to tell me?" Suzaku asked shyly, watching Lelouch with that ever pressent wonderment in his eyes. The pale male didn't really understand what was so enthralling about himself but he was somewhat grateful to that quality; he had not had someone other than the unsympathetic witch upstairs to talk to in years and it felt nice to share, even if the flow of information was altered and limited. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I guess I owe you a favor for sneaking out, in turn breaking your parents rules, just to come here and get me a glass of wine that I couldn't reach," He sighed softly, resting his elbow on the counter and leaning his head into his hand. He gave Suzaku, who was now blushing a little bit from Lelouch's words, a lazy grin and nodded. "Okay, ask me a question. Or you can repeat the previous question and I'll answer it."

Suzaku stared for a very long time, debating on what he wanted to ask. He could ask Lelouch the previous question anytime he wanted to; he was given three questions a day, after all. He blinked a few times before swallowing hard. What was something he could not often ask of Lelouch at any other time? Something that he could not ask during the day, when the shop was open, and customers may walk in at any given moment? "Can... Can I kiss you?"

_I heave a sigh because around you I feel far from myself. - _Cantarella by Kaito and Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid)

End

So that's the end of this lovely chapter! It's not as long as I would have liked but I wanted to end on a cliffhanger and still get this out much more promptly than last time. But it is longer than the last chapter, which satisfies me to some degree! Well, check out the poll on my account please and I'll get back to you soon! Until then; toodles!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Eight: Interrupted Madness

Lelouch stared at Suzaku for a few moments after he spoke, diggesting what the young man had said. Had he really asked him that? He pondered over it, rolled it over and over in his mind, checked if there was a possible double meaning before speaking. "May I ask why you're asking such a thing of me?" He asked calmly, taking a sip from his glass again to steady his nerves. And it didn't help that he was still trembling somewhat from the after effects of the angel's curse.

Suzaku's face turned a dark red, almost matching with the tone of Lelouch's beverage. "W-Well, I was just kind of wondering what it was like to kiss someone...because Euphy and I never kissed because she said she wasn't ready for that," He babbled softly, looking away in shame. He was sad to admit that, despite being a teenage boy who had been dating a relatively attractive girl up until recently, he had never even gotten to first base with her. Hell, he never even got to go up to bat! He was almost certain that, given Lelouch's wonderful appearance, he'd at least kissed quite a few girls in his day. It was a humiliating thing to have to admit to and it didn't help that he'd just asked another boy to kiss him.

"Well, I guess if it's just an experiment I could permit it," Lelouch said smoothly, waving a hand and flashing the now stunned brunnette a lazy smile. He was tired from all the pain but didn't mind using some of his remaining energy to help the young sinless teenager. He was, much to his own surprise, becoming quite fond of the boy. "Now close your eyes and try to relax." He explained to Suzaku calmly. Said boy blushed a bit but did as instructed; his eyelids closed down and shut his emerald orbs from view.

Lelouch leaned forward slowly, tilting his head downward and pressing his lips to Suzaku's. Suzaku's lips were not soft and yielding, like Lelouch's but a bit chapped and rougher. He did, however, like the feel of the young Japanese boy's lips pressed ever so slightly against his own. Even though the boy was the enemy and a pawn in Lelouch's elaborate game he was still a very attractive little thing; sinfully attractive, Lelouch decided, was the best term to describe the other boy's appearance. He slowly pulled away, his eyes opening just a small fraction to meet Suzaku's, which were a bit darker with delight and a small hint of disappointment at the contact being ended. "How was that?" He asked softly, keeping his voice low so as to not startled Suzaku and cause the other to apologize for making such a request.

Rather than say anything, Suzaku leaned closer in and pressed his lips to Lelouch's a little more forcefully than before. The young shop keep was stunned by the bold move but eased into it, leaning a bit more over the counter that seperated them to get closer. He felt one of Suzaku's hands glide along the side of his face and he shuddered at the newfound warmth. Lelouch was usually a tad bit colder than a normal human, given the fact he was far from normal, but he liked trying to stay warm. The connection between he and Suzaku was certainly a warming one, and he liked it quite a bit. A small purr of contentness pressed from his throat. Suzaku pulled back slowly as well and chuckled softly at Lelouch. "I guess I know why you have a cat like C2, huh? You're a lot like a cat yourself," He whispered softly. Lelouch blinked dazedly, snapping back to reality, and tilted his head a bit in question.

"What do you mean by that?" Lelouch asked calmly, keeping his cool. He wasn't insulted by the comment and didn't want Suzaku to mistake his question for one asked out of annoyance. He didn't want to listen to Suzaku sputter out an apology for the next five minutes; he'd much rather shut that mouth back up again with his own, to be upfront and honest about it.

"Well, cats are very independent but not so much so that they like being alone all the time," Suzaku began to explain. Lelouch blinked again, watching the little smile on Suzaku's lips grow slightly bigger. "Just like you, really. You can handle being alone but I think you really don't like it. That's one reason you deal with me all of the time; because even if sometimes I'm annoying it helps you get a little bit of company for a little while. I think that, in all honesty, you're kind of lonely." The words felt like a slap across their face simply because of the truth behind them.

When Lelouch thought about he was quite lonely. He'd been alone, aside from C2 but he didn't really consider her a comrade and she would often leave him alone to spend time by herself, for centuries now. He'd been fighting for his people's rights, trying to prove that the angels were wrong in their accusations and that the demons were wrong to use them as scapegoats. He was the lone crusader standing as a shield adn sword for his people as their prince and, because of his inability to age or die by normal means, he had become a figure that must stand alone. There was no one who could, of had, or would have stood by Lelouch. "I guess you're right to some degree about that. Lonely could be a word used to describe me," He said with a shrug, pretending that he wasn't now hurt with the realization.

"But don't worry about it, Lelouch, I'll always come by the store to make sure you aren't lonely. Because if we hang out together neither one of has to be lonely all the time," He stated cheerfully. Lelouch blinked and realized that Suzaku was quite right. Suzaku's mother was never home, having to work two jobs to support the two of them, and until just today his father was no where to be found. Staying in that apartment all by himself most days, doing nothing but studying and watching television, must have been just as painful as spending all day in the store alone, aside from the occasional customer or little chat with C2. The key difference between them was that Lelouch had many years to grow used to the cold sting of isolation while Suzaku was at a point in his life where a good sense of stability was key to his growth. It wasn't right or fair that the boy was let out in the cold just because of his mother's work schedule and his father's angelic obligations.

"I think it makes sense, personally," Lelouch stated before reaching under the counter and pulling a small silver key out. He dropped it into Suzaku's hands. He smiled at the confusion on the other boy's face. "It's a spare key to the shop. If you should ever need me or just get lonely at the apartment just come on by, whether the sign says open or closed. This key will work for every door in the shop and on the upper landing. I trust that you'll be respectful of when to use it and which doors to unlock with it." He said gently. The way those very spheres sparked to life with joy and honor at the trust Lelouch was placing in him made it all worth it; even if it did mean Lelouch may be risking some of his safety by doing so.

"Thank you so much! I promise to be very responsible with it!" Suzaku said eagerly, his smiling so big Lelouch feared his face might split in half. The bell above the door dinged anf the two turned, their smiles fading as their gazes landed on a very irritated Genbu Kururugi standing there.

"Suzaku, what in the world do you think you're doing here? It is well past your curfew and you have school in the morning! You shouldn't be parading about town with some worthless juvenile scum like this boy!" He snapped venomously. Lelouch didn't even flinch at the comment. He was used to taking verbal, and physical, beatings for the now furious Emil. I twas strange, however, to see Emil look so aged. Angels, like Lelouch and his people, did not fall to the rules of Father Time and Mother Nature. Because of what they were they lived above those laws; the very laws that humans were forced to serve whether they wanted to or not.

"I came to make sure Lelouch was feeling better since he went home in such a sick shape," Suzaku said calmly, keeping his voice level. He discretely pocketed the key, making sure his father didn't see it. His father would surely confiscate it and do who knew what, considering his clear yet illogical dislike of Lelouch. "I was getting ready to leave just as you showed up. And I'd appreciate if you didn't insult my friend."

Genbu flinched at the word his own son used to describe Lelouch. A _friend_? How could a creature so disgusting, so contaminated and vile, as Lelouch ever be a _friend_ to his beautiful and untainted son? The thought made him ill and even more furious. "Suzaku, you will get out of this shop right now before I do something I'll regret!" He bellowed darkly. Lelouch nudged Suzaku a bit and titled his head toward the angel in the doorway. Suzkau looked at him, seeming to be debating, but a nod from Lelouch let him know it was okay.

Suzaku followed after his father without a word to either Genbu or Lelouch. Blazing jade orbs landed on unruffled ametyst ones before he glared again and left. He amde sure to slam the shop door. As soon as the two were gone Lelouch fell to the floor, clawwing at his back and biting his tongue to withhold any cries of pain. It appeared that he was going to have to make a very risky move to assure he could continue his discussions with the young Kururugi boy.

...

Suzaku tried his vest to focus on the lesson in class but it was very difficult. On the way home from Lelouch's shop his father and he had gotten into a nasty spat and he'd said some pretty hateful things. He regretted them now but at the time he was glad to see hurt cross his father's face. Now he just felt guilty but wasn't going to back down from his opinion; he definately knew Lelouch better than his father did and he wanted his father to trust his judgment. He wasn't the same child his father had seen before he left anymore, after all.

"Now, students, we've got the results from the last English test you took. The top ten scores for your whole grade get to go on the two week trip to America for free and the following twenty top scores only have to pay half," The teacher said after calling the class back to attention. Suzaku jolted up and glanced over eagerly. The assignment had been to write a story in nothing but English. Suzaku had decided to write about his peculiar yet interesting afternoons at Lelouch's shop. He mostly talked about the stories Lelouch told him to help learn the language and what certain words translated to. "Now, the list will be posted at the end of class. For now, pull out your math books and turn to page 248." Suzaku vaguely heard the groans and whines of protest his peers released upon hearing the teacher's request. He was too busy wondering if his name was on that list.

He finished the assignment as quick as he could and, at class break, he darted over and looked from the bottom of the list to the top. At first he despaired upon not seeing his own name, feeling that perhaps his writing simply hadn't been good enough. It wasn't, however, until he saw the first name on the chart. "Kururugi Suzaku - My Afternoons with Lelouch" is read. Suzaku laughed for two reasons then; one being he'd been so successful and the second being his disappointment with his rather bland title. This was, however, only a thought because he'd done so well. He doubted he'd comment on the title if he hadn't done so exceedingly well on the essay contest. He decided to drop everything for a moment and just enjoy the feel of the victory, loosening up like Lelouch was often chiding him to do.

...

Suzaku darted to Lelouch's shop as soon as classes let out. The key was pressed into the back pocket of his school trousers and his excitement was causing his cheeks to be dusted with a fine pink mist. He couldn't wait to tell Lelouch and thank him for his patient teaching! It had lead him to achieve the ultimate goal he wanted! A trip to America was something Suzaku had been dreaming of ever since he was just a youn child in grammer school. He could just imagine what it's be like to walk around New York and speak to people in fluent English! He stopped when he saw the closed sign was turned over on the door. _'Lelouch said to use the key whenever I wanted to, even if the sign warned against it, but I don't think it'd be okay. I mean, he had to close it for a reason, right?'_ Suzaku thought worriedly. His excitement and his sense of morality battled for a brief second before he decided to be selfish for once. Lelouch was always telling him to be a little bit more concerned with his own wants and needs anyway. This way he was following more of Lelouch's advice.

He slipped inside, making sure to lock the door behind himself, and looked around. Lelouch wasn't sitting behind the counter, sipping wine, like the last time he dropped by unannounced. He glanced toward the black curtain and decided that he'd check upstairs; perhaps Lelouch was taking a nap or doing inventory or paying bills. He ascended the stairs slowly and as quietly as he could. They were old and wooden so they squeaked quite a bit when he stepped on them. He spotted a room that was cracked open a little bit and saw a silhouette. "I know you're there, Suzaku," Lelouch voice said smoothly, "so just come in so we can chat a little." Suzaku jumped, stunned, and wondered if he'd disturbed Lelouch's alone time and annoyed the other by doing so.

"I'm sorry, Lelouch. The sign said closed and you told me to drop by and I was just so excited... I'm sorry," He apologized nervously. He blinked and tilted his head when he saw Lelouch didn't look angry; he looked completely calm and collected. He was seated on his bed watching Suzaku through his bangs, violet irises twinkling. There was a bucket of steaming water, a washcloth, and a knife sitting next to the bed on the floor. "What's going on?" Suzkau asked, keeping his gaze fixated on the knife and trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.

"I need to ask a rather difficult task of you, Suzaku," Lelouch stated gently, picking up the knife and standing. Suzaku took a step back. fear blooming in his chest. He remained frozen, however, as Lelouch slowly advanced. He pressed the handle of the knife into one of Suzaku's trembling hands and looked up at him. "I need you to cut open my back and take something out for me."

End

Another cliff ahnger for all of you lovely people! Also, the results of my poll will be posted on my profile soon so you can check those out. My next project will be uploaded in about two weeks when, if all goes well, I'll be updating again. Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter and see you next time!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Nine: Madness Without the Catalyst

Suzaku stepped back with fear etched across his handsome young face. Lelouch kept the calm, cool and collected appearance as he watched the other respond to his request. He had known that Suzaku would not have a necessarily cheerful or eager reaction but he hadn't expected this to be the reaction either. "You... You can't be serious! If you need something like that done you should have a professional at a hospital do it! You'll bleed and if I do something wrong... I'm just a high school kid; I'm not a surgeon!" Suzaku babbled on frantically, listing every reason why Lelouch's suggestion was so terrible that he could think of.

"As I'm sure you've gather by this point," Lelouch sighed as he flopped down and sat on his bed, "I am not a normal person. If I was to be taken to a hospital things could get... dicey, I guess, would be the best way to describe it. I cannot go to a normal hospital and I connot do this myself. If you don't feel comfortable, however, I can ask someone else to help me. I don't want to force you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable." A spark came to Suzaku's eyes as Lelouch spoke.

Suzaku didn't really understand it himself but he didn't like the idea of Lelouch getting help from anyone other than him. He had only been assosiating with Lelouch for a small amount of time but he had kissed the boy the day before. He had been wanting to kiss the raven haired male for so long it wasn't even funny. And now he was being asked for a favor in return. "I... I guess I don't mind taking care of this for you," He said in a soft, frightened tone of voice.

"Are you sure about that, Suzaku? I can tell you everything to do. Just so long as you listen to my instructions down to the last detail there won't be any real problems. And I know exactly where the object is," Lelouch explained gently, looking up at Suzaku through his bangs. Suzaku's heart skipped a beat; those amethyst orbs were glinting in an almost sexy way. He knew it was probably sick and twisted to think Lelouch was a masochist who was turned on by the thought of pain, and even worse that the thought didn't completely repulse Suzaku himself, but he couldn't help it. He wondered briefly if the other boy was putting that look on his face intentional; using physical attraction to keep Suzaku in agreement with his request. "I'll just need some wine afterwards and the pain won't bother me too much either."

"So... What exactly will I have to do? Do I have to just... You know... Cut open your back and reach inside or... What?" He stammers nervously, glancing off to the side as he spoke. He had never one this before, being a normal high school student. He didn't want to have to feel around inside Lelouch too far. "And do you have any gloves I can wear?"

"Don't worry about gloves; you won't need them. You'll just need to cut down along the middle of my back, reach inside just a little bit and you'll find it. It's as easy as that," Lelouch stated calmly. He could sense Suzaku's anxiety and tried his best to be sympathetic to it. He had never been placed in the position he now had the emerald eyed male trapped in. Lelouch's isolation had left him with only one person to ever have to answer to.

Suzaku nodded, swallowing hard as he did so. Even though Lelouch was telling him not to worry about it he was still nervous about the whole thing. He glanced up curiously and watched as Lelouch began removing his shirt, calmly undoing the buttons. Suzaku's cheeks darkened a bit as bit by bit Lelouch's pale chest was revealed. The skin, he noticed, was free of any blemishes and he wondered if it was okay that he'd be leaving a mark, that would most like scar, on his back near his spine. "After I lie down pick up the knife I brought and sit down on me," Lelouch said as he set his shirt on the floor.

Suzaku watched as Lelouch flopped over on his bed, face pressed into his pillows and his pale back exposed. Suzaku walked over cautiously, picking up the handle of the knife and looking at it. Approaching Lelouch with the knife in his hands made him think of those old-fashion slasher flicks. If only Lelouch was in a shower instead of laying on his bed. He shook the thought away. _'I'm not going to hack him to tiny bits; I'm doing this for medical reasons,'_ He told himself in hopes of relaxing as he sat atop the top of the back of Lelouch's thighs. "Okay. So, what exactly do I do first?" He asked while clearing his throat.

"Put your index finger against the middle of my spine. Just a few centimeters away from it make an incision that is the length of your finger from the top to the bottom," He explaiend softly, making sure he was heard despite having the pillow in front of his mouth. He shivered a bit as Suzaku's finger slipped down along his spine and was silently pleased when the other said nothing about it. He was already embarassed to have the other hovering over him as he was. He sunk his teeth on to the pillow when the blade pierced his flesh, biting down and keeping in any noises from escaping. He didn't want Suzaku to feel bad about what he was doing.

Suzaku swallowed hard after making the incision, blood beginning to leak out. He reached over, grabbed the washcloth and dipped it into the water. It was warm, haiving cooled down from being left in the room so long, and he wrung it out before gently dabbing at the open wound on Lelouch's back with it. "This is okay, right? I just don't want you to bleed too much," He said softly. Lelouch nodded a little bit, swallowing back the pain and letting the gentle and soothing touch Suzaku was using relax him.

"Now you need to go to the top and bottom of th first incision and make two more pointing away from my spine of the same length," Lelouch grounded out, voice a little hoarse from trying to mask his pain. He heard Suzaku swallow hard before setting the now crimson washcloth back in the water. It shifted color to match the large red splotches now added on the cloth. Lelouch's eyes screwed shut and his teeth clenched around his pillow as Suzaku followed his order, making two more sideways incision marks added onto the first. "After that if you lift the skin and reach n you should fnd the oblect I was telling you about. But be fast about it; this is starting to get annoyingly painful." He grunted softly.

Suzaku set the knife back on the floor, hands shaking as he did as instructed. His fingers slipped in through the opening he'd made and he felt his fingertips brush something almost immedietely. He pushed his fingers a little further in, unable to see due to the blood beginning to pool up and leak out over the edges, before yanking, clutching the item between his index and middle fingers. He blinked, examinging the oblect, and his eyes widened. "Is... Is this a feather?" He stammered in shock. Lelouch let out a small sigh and relief, reaching over and grabbing the cloth. Suzaku jolted up and quickly took it, pressing it back over the gaping wound he'd created.

"Thank you, Suzaku," Lelouch panted softly, eyes closed as he relaxed. The pain from being cut open was nothing compared to the damage that feather with it's curse had caused. "Can you please do me a favor and go get my wine. The glass and bottle should be in the front under the counter where I left them." He said softly. Suzaku nodded quickly and darted off, leaving the bloody feather on the bed. Lelouch picked it up calmly and examined it curiously, remembering the day it had been forced into him. He knew that he'd need to explain how and why the bizarre thing was in him to Suzaku but he decided it could wait. He knew all about Suzaku's upcoming trip and would tell him when he returned. After all, he had some businesss of his own to tend to while Suzaku was away.

...

Suzaku picked up the glass and bottle, examining them curiously. Of course he knew Lelouch was far from your normal teenager; he just never thought that he was that bizarre. Why was that feather shoved in so close to his spine? And how was it there was no precious scar from it being put in? He had been sure to check for one so that he'd have an idea of where to cut and how far to cut. He had a lot of questions buzzing around in his head now that he hoped Lelouch would answer.

He headed back up the stairs quietly, looking at the bottle closer. He realized that the bottle bore no label to distinguish what brand of wine it was. Perhaps Lelouch had a strange habit of taking the labels off but that was strange. Most people of higher intellect and class kept the labels on so thy could brag about what type of wine and how old it was. Lelouch rarely had company, though, so he had no one to brag about it to. He pushed open the door and walked back in slowly.

Lelouch was now sitting on his bed, letting his wound leak blood down his back and into his pants. "Lelouch, you should be resting instead of sitting up!" Suzaku said quickly, darting over and setting the two items he held on the nightstand. He picked the washcloth back up, dipped it into the now chilly water, anad cleaned up the blood that had dripped down Lelouch's back and pressed it to the boy's wound. "If it bleeds too much you could pass out! You need to rest and try to relax." He chided softly, looking at where he was pressing the cloth. He was answered by the pop of the cork being yanked out, followed closely by the light slosh of the wine pouring into the glass.

"I owe you quite the explanation, don't I, Suzaku? When you return from you trip I rpomise to explain everything in great detail and all honesty," Lelouch said softly before taking a sip of his wine. Suzaku blinked before leaning forward and resting his head on the back of the other boy's shoulder. Violet irises shifted and landed on the mop of curly brown hair.

"For some reason it doesn't freak me out as much as it should that you knew that without me telling you. I'm almost kind of glad that you're watching me so closely to know that kind of stuff or using whatever strange gift you have to read me so easily," He whispered softly, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. There was no need to pretend to be someone he wasn't around Lelouch because Lelouch could tell when he was lying. Lelouch had no unreal expectations for him, had no secret motive for letting Suzaku relax as far as he was concerned. If only he knew that it was this great ease he felt that had caused Lelouch's motives to alter as they did.

...

Lelouch smirked a bit as he watched a large white plane disappear in the distance from the roof of the shop. Suzaku was on that flight to America with a few other students in his class and a few teachers and would be gone for quite sometime. This left Lelouch the grand chance to finally tend to some long withstanding business with Emil, or Kururugi Genbu. He yanked his white gloves on a little tighter, wiggling his fingers to make sure they fit right. He then smirked and twirled his cane on his fingers before hopping from the edge closest to the thin alley between his shop and the one to the left of it. He found it ironic somehow that the building to the left was a blood donation station.

He walked down the streets, ignoring the stares people sent his way. It was only eight o'clock at night and he was walking down the street dressed like he was going to a fancy get-together. or a costume party and his role was that of a vampire. He ignored the girls who giggled and gushed over his attractive face, then boys who glared at him attracting so much attention from the opposite sex and the older couples who mumbled unappprovingly to one annother in accordance to his attire and stance. He didn't care what these people havd to say about him because he was a man on a mission. "Come out, come out, where ever you," He whispered lowly, lightly tapping his cane on the ground. He knew Emil's squad was watching him to assure he wasn't up to no good.

He heard the fluttering of the wings before he saw them. He glanced up, eyes hard as stone, and watched as three winged creatures landed on the top of a building close by. Their eyes were glinting like molted lava, waiting for him to stray away from any crowds. That was how things were done; gang up on one sinner when they were alone so they were easier to take down. That was how they'd put the damned feather in his years ago when Emil chose not to believe him. It had been a punishment for the lives lost during World War II, which Emil refused to accept wasn't the fault of Lelouch and his people. He smirked to himself and continued to explore the city, enjoying the freedom of walking from here to there. He liked the glow of the neon lights as he continued his brisk walk down the streets. He loved to see all that changes in technology and society since he accepted his fate.

"Well, well, well. You really do leave the shop," He heard a deep masculine voice laugh smugly. Lelouch smirked a bit to himself and slowly turned to face Genbu. The older male was dressed in a black cusiness suit with a white tie to contrast the darkness of the rest of the attire. "Would you like to take a walk with me?" The ebony haired male could see and hear the dare in the other's voice. His words really meant "Think you can handle the pain I can dish out?"

"First I'd like to return this to you," Lelouch said calmly, reaching into the pocket of his trousers. He produced the feather, which he'd rinsed clean of most of the blood, and held it out in a handkerchief. He had to try his best not to laugh like a maniac at the gleam of horror that crossed into those eyes followed by a small snarl. "I hope you don't mind that I've tainted it a little bit with my blood. I know how tidy you angels are." He whispered slowly, stepping closer and pressing the thin object into the angel's chest lightly. He released it, pulled back a bit, and calmly tucked the handkerchief back into his pocket where it belonged. The feather drifted toward the ground before it caught the wind and disappeared upward with a small current.

"You had Suzaku remove that for you, didn't you?" He asked lowly, glaring as he turned and caught up to thr younger male. Lelouch merely chuckled, eyes glinting with some emotion. Regret? Guilt, perhaps? Genbu shook the thought away; creatures like Lelouch felt nothing but blood lust. This did explain why Suzaku had seemed so shaken up and jumpy the night before as he packed. The doorbell had rung and the boy had jumped, as if expecting someone other than the food delivery man to be there. Now he knew his poor son was most likely expecting acop to haul him away because of Lelouch bleeding to death and Suzaku's fingerprints showing up on the items used in the murder. "You're truly a sick, sick person to take advantage of a child as kind hearted and sincere as him."

"And you're truly a disgraceful, revolting one to have not been there for him when he needed his father," Lelouch spat back in a bitter yet level tone. Lelouch knew better than to lose his cool in front of someone like Emil. He would take advantage of his frustration to get him right where he wanted him and then make him pay for the crime the boy had not committed. "I may be sick but you are neglectful. That kind of stuff is what drives some people to become seriel killers or rapists. They've done the research; there are facts to support and prove it."

The angel snorted in response. "You think my Suzaku, my blood, could commit such terrible crimes? You really must be a daffy young prince," He scoffed coldly, eyes darkening as he glared at the dark mop of hair bobbing along beside him. "It's exactly that sick sense of irony of yours that tends to get annoying and causes you to create terrible incidents like the one that took place in Germany."

"I wasn't the cause for that, Emil, and you know it," Lelouch retorted with a large sum of annoyance in his tone. He kept his eyes sharp, watching from the corner of his eye where Emil's partners in crime were going. they were hopping along the roofs of the building watching where they were going. He knew they were expecting him to lash out and attack. He fiddled with the top of his cane, pulling it open. You see, Lelouch was not a fool; he kept a weapon on him at all times. This time it was a blade with a sheeth that looked like a cane. He watched Emil flinch a bit when the blade, only slightly revealed so he was the only one could see it, caught the light and shimmered softly. "You see, I'm quite tired of all your prattle about how it was my fault. A demon, sent directly from Hell, was the one who inspired that terrible incident. My people and myself kept out of it because we didn't want trouble. If you'd like, however, I could convince you using more... barbaric methods, which seem to be your preference."

"You honestly think I'll listen to any of the dirty lies you have to say? You must have lost what little brains you had left, Lelouch," Emil snarled lowly in response. The other male turned and stormed off. Lelouch glanced up, seeing the alarm on the other angels' faces. They didn't understand how their leader could permit someone as wretched, as cursed, as the King of the Shadows waltz around in Tokyo doing as he pleased. They couldn't kill Lelouch but they could certainly make his life Hell on earth. They followed after, however, drifting higher and disappearing behind a large huddle of fluffy white clouds. But things were going to get more complicated simply because of Emil's inability to lash out at him.

Suzaku would be well informed of the truth behind the world.

End

I hope you liked this chapter! The next chapter might take longer to get out (considering it will be extremely long) but it will clear up all of the loose ends and reveal every last detail. I really hope you all love the twists and turns that are coming out and don't mind that a large chunk of the next chapter will be Lelouch's flashback. Until then, enjoy your times and please check out my other story; One Step, Two Step!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Ten: Reality of Madness

He had certainly enjoyed his two weeks in America; that was a given considering he'd never been there and liked getting to see a foreign place. But at the same time Suzaku had been quite a bit worried for Lelouch and missed being able to see him. He hadn't realized it but the shop and it's keeper were a weight that kept him grounded and feeling secure. Around his classmates he felt awkward, different, because he was no good at being the normal high schooler who could lie through his teeth and stab others in the back with the greatest of ease. Suzaku had looks and strength, both physical and emotional, but even he needed to unwind and relax. Two weeks, a whole fourteen days, without being able to escape all the secrets and deception had left him rather drained. He also knew that he'd most likely be worn even more into a need for rest after Lelouch told him everything about the incident that had occured before he'd left the country.

He had slept most of the flight back but he still felt rather tired. It was only nine o'clock in the evening as he walked down the busy streets of Tokyo, dragging his rolling suitcase with one hand and his carry on in the other. He didn't live too far from the airport and didn't want to waste any money, which he'd been earning for doing favors around the complex and been saving for weeks, on a taxi. He'd give what he had left to his mother to help with groceries. He had only bought a few little trinkets for himself, and a gift for Lelouch and his mother, so he still had a decent sum left. He hadn't thought to get a gift for his father, who he was still at odds with.

He darted home, not too surprised that no one else was present, and dropped off his things. He rummaged through his carry-on and grabbed the gift he'd gotten for Lelouch. He made himself a piece of toast to munch on along the way and left again, being sure to lock the door behind himself. He darted down the street, clenching the gift and munching excitedly on his crunchy toast. He skid to a stop a few minutes later, looking up at the shop before him. It was closed. He used his key, like he had some days ago, and walked in, locking the door again behind himself. He was stunned to find Lelouch sitting behind the counter, a glass of wine in one hand and twirling a cane in the other. They glanced at each other, the twirling cane coming to a halt, for sometime before either spoke or moved; the moment was ended by Lelouch, who gave a small smile, violet irises softening on the young Japanese boy, and uttered a calm "Welcome back, Suzaku," in flawless English.

That was all the invitation Suzaku needed to step closer to the counter, return the smile, and sit on a stool that had been set there, as if waiting for him. "It's good to be back. I had fun but I missed it here. Oh, and I got you a gift," He said happily, setting the item on the countertop. Sitting before the ebony haired male was a four inch high replica of the Statue of Liberty. "It's a replica lighter. If you press down on the torch it lights up with a little flame." He explained happily before a thought struck Suzaku for the first time; Lelouch was a drinker, not a smoker. He prepared to apologize profusely when a small knowing smile wormed it's way on to the other male's pale face, a small chuckle rumbling deep in his throat.

"So I can light some incense, yes?" He asked politely. Suzaku blinked, bemused by what Lelouch was suggesting, until the other reached under the table and pulled out a small cardboard box. He opened the flaps calmly and revealed multiple neatly staked boxes inside with different labels. A swirling mix of various smells erupted and took Suzkau by surprise. It wasn't unpleasant how the scents mixed, much to his amazement, and he watched as Lelouch rummaged through, reading labels and making faces until he found one scent. "Dragon's blood is the best scent out of all of the ones I have. It also makes me nostalgic so it'll help me tell my tale with more accuracy and fluency." He explained as he pulled a long thin incent from the full box.

Suzaku watched Lelouch move with grace and ease, pushing the torch down with just his thumb nail and lighting the stick. He blew the flame on the incent out, lifted his thumb to release the lighter, and walked over to one of the silver trays that hung from the ceiling by a thin chain. He reached up, standing on tiptoes, and set the incent on it. Suzaku assumed the tray was actually an incent holder, considering the thin stick was tilted at a forty-five degree angle, and watched as Lelouch returned to his previous perch. An intoxicating scent wafted after him and began to fill the room. It was sweet but had a lusty, seductive undertone. "That smells wonderful," Suzaku mused vaguely, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath. Lelouch smiled to himself as he replaced the incense box where he'd put it before. He then refolded the flaps of the box and shoved it back into it's proper place.

"I'm glad you think so. Now, where would you like me to begin with my explanation?" Lelouch asked as he tilted back in his seat. Suzaku blinked dazedly before looking at him, emerald orbs a little hazy from his previous relaxed state.

"Well... I want you to start from the beginning. I don't know what exactly is going on... I guess I want you to tell me about how that feather got in your back. And who would put something like that there? What was it's purpose?" He asked, his questions from the previous two weeks bubbling out to the surface.

"Then I shall start with the night my whole life, or at least my life as you know it, began. You see, I'm what's known as a Shadow Walker. Another word you could use to explain what I am would be Demon or Night Walker. When an angel and a devil concieve a child it becomes known as a Shadow Walker. A Shadow Walker is given certain abilities in accordance to what their parents were skilled at, drink the blood of humans who commit terrible sins, and are also supposed to keep order in the human world. If things get out of whack we're the ones who are blamed, even if we did nothing to earn it," He said lowly. He then blinked, realizing he was going off on a bit of a tangent. "But I'll get in to why I say that later. It all started on New Year's Eve in London... in the year 1899."

...

He watched the ball gown skirts twirl here and there from his perch by the balcony. He heard giggles, heard heels click on tile, took a sip of his wine. He disliked these huge events but he had promised his parents he'd attend to assure their reputations would remain in tact. He watched his little sister and a boy a few feet away. The boy scratched the back of his head nervously before holding out his hand and asking something quickly, a look of determination and hope on his features. Nunnally tilted her head, face painted with confusion, before she smiled and took his hand. He smiled despite himself as he watched the younger teens disappear in the crowd with the other dancing figures.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Lelouch?" He jolted up at the soft yet affectionate tone of his mother's voice. He looked over and watched as she tilted her head, stepping a little closer, and reaching over. She squeezed her older child on the shoulder lightly, lips quirking upward with a cheerful little grin plastered on. "I know you dislike these kinds of gatherings but why don't you try to find a nice girl to dance with?" She suggested hopefully.

He smiled at her in a polite yet put-off way. "I'm not much for dancing. I may be good at it but I dislike it. The girls at these festivities always overdo their make-up, hairstyles and perfume. I'm just grateful that you helped Nunnally get ready. She's the only girl here, besides you, of course, who looks approachable," He said calmly before taking another sip of his wine. He looked over at his mother curiously. She was usually the life of these get-togethers with her wit and natural charm. She was the perfect wife for someone of Lelouch's fathers' status. "You certainly didn't come all this way out here just to tell me to be more sociable, though, did you?" He asked curiously. His mother blinked, her deep blue eyes lighting up a tad bit, before she smiled and nodded a little bit.

"Would you join your mother for a walk in the garden, Lelouch?" She asked softly, tilting her head toward the nearby doors that would lead them out. He smiled and held out his arm politely, allowing his mother to rest both her hands on his forearm as he lead her outside into the slightly nippy winter air. He was grateful for his thick black jacket and the deep crimson coat his mother, whom was of a delicate condition, was snuggled in to. She let out a small, content sigh at the feel of the icy wind biting at her face and the flesh of her neck that was exposed.

"You've always had a fondness toward the winter, haven't you?" Lelouch asked as he felt the snow crunch beneath his dress shoes. He knew the bottom of his slacks would get wet and most likely dampen his socks as well. He didn't really mind even though it would make removing his socks at home that much more of an annoyance.

"That fondness is the very reason I was so adament with your father that I concieve you during the spring; unless you decided to be early you'd be born at my favorite time of the year," She explained with a noise of contentment. He chuckled lightly at the thought of his mother practically hissing her wish to his father. It was only because of his father's strong preference toward his mother that he had yeilded to her demands. Lelouch used the word "preference" simply because he knew there was no love between his parents. They were only together because of what there status in society had been during their courtship and their ability to tolerate one another for extended periods of time. Marriage in Lelouch's world was rarely out of any affection; it was all of what, or rather who, would aid in climbing higher up on the social ladder. Status within society was what decided a person's worth rather than their character. "I had wanted Nunnally to be born in January, so you'd both be born in the winter, but your father forced me to surrender to his want of a child born during the fall season." She said with a small huff, pouting at the memory.

"I guess that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, eh?" Lelouch asked softly with a smile. His mother nodded lightly as they walked deeper into the garden, straying farther from the lights of the extravagent mansion. Lelouch felt a strange sensation prick at the back of his neck, something telling him that he shouldn't be going out so far, but he brushed it off as simply the cold air getting to him.

"I certainly won with you, Lelouch," His mother mused softly, her voice sounding almost too sweet. Her grip on his arm began tightening, growing painful, and he winced visibly over it. She tilted her head up, her hair falling in front of her eyes a bit. Her one visible eye had a wicked, terrifying glint to it that made the raven topped male's skin crawl. "You've always been such a devoted, loyal son. And now, mother has a special request to make of her little boy." She whispered lowly before she shoved against Lelouch's arm and knocked him to the ground with a force none would expect from a figure as petite and lady-like as hers. Lelouch hit the snow and released a small grunt, starting to pushing himself back up by his elbows.

It was then his mother pulled out a slim dagger from her dark red coat and plunged it into his shoulder, shoving three of her fingers down her son's throat when his mouth snapped open to scream. Her nails, which he didn't realize were so sharp, scratched at the roof of his mouth and drew blood. He gagged around her fingers, trying to press himself up and away from her. A low pitched chuckle came from her, one of her knees pressing into his gut and forcing him down with the aid of the knife in his shoulder. "Calm down, sweetie; it'll only hurt for a little longer if you're a good boy," She giggled softly, her voice becoming a tone harsher. She twisted the dagger slowlyly and a small, rueful smile turned up her lips as she watched her young son squirm to be released. "You see, Lelouch, you are of a strange breed. Your father and I knew very little of one another when you were concieved. One of my ancestors came to me the day you were born and told me you'd take over her destiny. She said you'd be the one to bring about peace between the worlds, all three worlds. And if I'm left without the ability to torment humans and angels, forced into a peace I will not accept, I'll lose my source of fun. That is why, my dear, precious son, I must kill you before she gets her claws in you. You understand, don't you? I do this out of love." She cooed, as if soothing Lelouch after awakening from a terrible nightmare.

Lelouch felt as though he was going to either drown on his own blood or pass out from the dizziness the blood loss was doing to him. His mind was spinning and his mother's words made no sense. She was killing her son because of angels and humans? Wasn't she, herself, a human? He was confused, trying to clear his mind, and he snapped his eyes shut tight. It was then he heard the snapping noise of something. He peeked through his eyes and felt his body go rigid with fright. He watched through slitted eyes, trying harder not to vomit, as his mother's body shuddered and shifted. Her back arched a bit and bones in the shape of wings hovered from a few inches below her shoulder blades. Her jaw snapped with a loud, painful crack, and her face began to shift. Her eyes became thin and red, her skin became a pastey grey hue and it looked like the face of a dog without fur on it's muzzle. Her lips twisted up, revealing jagged, terrifying fangs instead of the pearly white and straight teeth Lelouch was used to seeing. Her voice became deeper and she laughed loudly. "Do I frighten you, my dear boy? Mother looks strange without her make-up, doesn't she?" She laughed harshly, her voice sounding so strange and foreign to the young boy trapped beneath her.

An idea popped into Lelouch's head through the hazy, complex mist of frantic fear. He closed his eyes again and forced his breathing to relax. He was going to have to pretend to be out like a light in order to get his mother's fingers from his throat. He was certain that if he could just get those damned fingers out of his mouth he could find a way to overpower her and try to escape. And even if he didn't get too far he could at least call for help without those fingers in his way. "Are you going to sleep, sweetheart? It's okay. The pain will go away and you can rest as long as you like," His mother whispered in a mock-loving tone. Her hand slipped out from his mouth and he heard it crunch in the snow by the side of his head. Her hand on the dagger handle shifted and stroked his cheek, the nails longer and sharper. He knew that if he moved too fast she'd cut his face so he moved his hand slowly toward the forgotten weapon shoved in his shoulder. His fingers wrapped around the cold metal handle slowly, doing his best not to attract his mother's attention. His eyes snapped open just as he pulled the sharp blade out and he slashed at her as she reared back, hissing like some crazed beast. He felt the blade find some part of her, his eyes shutting closed again immedietely, and he yanked it sideways. When he opened his eyes he saw his mother fall to the ground, neck wide open, shifting back into a human as she lay there. Her wide eyes fixated on his trembling figure. "You... You would kill your own mother?" She gurgled lowly, bubbles of blood coming up and popping against her lips. He threw the dagger away and got back to his feet shakily and ran away. He disappeared down the cobbled streets and that was when he head the voices pleading for him and saw a cat with a knowing amber gaze.

...

It took many years for Lelouch to finally feel somewhat sane in his new position, given he'd killed two of his own family members. For arguments sake it had been in self defense both time, yet somehow it did not relieve the boy's conscience of the burden of guilt. Nunnally had been an innocent victim, despite her attempt to attack him, and his mother had been planning to kill him. He was often scolded by C2 for, as she called it, his tender heart. "If you remain as weak and easily swayed as you are now then when the angels have at you you will fall," She warned him darkly. Lelouch had brushed her off with effortless indifference. Something about the witch could harden his heart to the degree she claimed was necessary. Lelouch was lounging atop a small building, a dark shadow curling around his arm. It was a new recruit who had not realized she was a Shadow Walker until she was killed and took her form. Her name was Kallen Stadfeld. He was trying to help her calm down and come to terms with her new shape, as was his job. It was then he heard approaching footsteps. "Are you the one who created all of this calamity?" Lelouch was tempted to laugh at the words but resisted.

"You give me too much credit, Emil," Lelouch responded in a dead-pan tone. Kallen was all a twitter with fear and trying to calm her back to the degree he'd had her was going to be that much more difficult. He rolled over on his side, letting Kallen's shadow slip back a bit and fuse with the shadow the full moon cast of his form, and looked at the other in a way that he hoped showed how terribly bushed he was. "Not even I have the power to inspire a man such as Adolf Hitler to committing such horrendous genocide. And, to be frank with you, I don't like it any more than you do. Before you flutter down here, feathers all ruffled and ready to accuse me falsely, try checking into the background of the matter before getting as you are. God Himself knows I have no hand in this and have, much to my own slight disbelief, offered to help halt this atrocity from being carried on any longer. The death of so many people doesn't benefit either one of us. If good people die than my people can't feed and if good people die than Heaven becomes overrun. If anything, go pester Lucifer about the whole mess. He most likely knows something about it."

A low growl came from the throat of the angel he was clearly annoying. He saw the other's fists clench before he retorted with a bitter, "And why should I believe someone like you, a Shadow Walker?" Lelouch had become notorious among the angels for his elaborate and clever fibs. He was never straight-forward and completely honest with anyone; not even his teacher, C2. Yes, his feline guardian did see him when he reached his breaking point but even she never truly knew when to expect it or what it would be about.

Lelouch's response was delivered in a tone that seemed airy and uncaring but his eyes, which gleamed like amethst daggers in the moonlight, betrayed his clear-cut fury with Emil's arrival. "I'd normally be inclined to agree with you given my history of lying to your face more times than not; however, this is something that spells disaster for all of us. Why would I do something that could get my people slaughtered? If you came up with the accusation that my people and I gave Hitler this insane idea, how many others of your people do you think have come to the same conclusion? And do you realize that some of those people would be less inclined to come ask me about it and just go start killing Shadow Walkers frivolously?" When he saw the male angel's fists twitch and clench a little more he knew he'd driven his point home. He then decided taht, since his pride had the tendency to get the better of him, to give the other a gentle nudge in the direction of leaving. "Not that you really care. You see us Shadow Walkers as an abomination, just like the rest of your people. Now scurry away before I put a few scratch marks on your wings."

"Glad we cleared the air on that one," Emil retorted bluntly before he left, seeming to understand Lelouch's hint. Rage and loathing crawling under the young prince's flesh, he retreated to the shadows and to his small shop. C2 was curled in a lazy ball of fur on the countertop, ears flattened to her skull and eyes screwed shut in sleep. Lelouch decided to wake her up in one of the most delicate ways he knew; he shoved her right over the edge of the counter and resisted the urge to smirk when he heard her release a series of startled hisses and yowls.

"Emil has lost his mind. I think it'd be best if we left now," Lelouch stated bluntly. A thin haze of black smoke drifted back and forth by his head as he spoke. He knew Kallen was now baffled and scared she'd be abandoned. "You, Kallen and I shall go somewhere else where we can stay until this business here blows over." He said sternly. He heard a small, feral growl before C2 leapt gracefully back on to the counter.

"No, Lelouch. We must stay here as long as we can and try to tend to those of us who are here. We cannot run with our tails between our legs simply out of fear of what the enemy may do to us. We have an obligation to all the Shadow Walkers here to attend to the damage being done and try to put an end to it," She said sternly. Her eyes darkened and narrowed toward him. "Besides, we both know the demon who caused this whole thing quite well. You did barely escape her with your life years ago in London." Lelouch's eyes widened in horror at the feline sitting there calmly, tail flicking from here to there.

"You mean... She didn't...," He stammered fearfully. C2 did not blink as she spoke.

"Yes, Lelouch, that is exactly what I'm saying. Your mother did not die that night in the snow; she merely retreated to bring this Hell upon us later on,"

...

Lelouch fled Germany halfway through the war, retreating to Ameria and C2 and Kallen. The two had developed a bizarre relationship and he tried to ignore it, giving them quite a bit of time alone when he felt things between them were getting a tad too cozy for his liking. He had been grateful that while in Germany they'd not come into contact with his mother; he was not quite ready for that showdown.

Times in America were interesting until they joined the war and then, after the conflict was completely resolved, Lelouch fled again; this time to Japan. There were few Shadow Walkers in Japan to begin with and he feared that the few there would be wiped out. He was grateful when he arrived to find that none of them had been killed in the terrible attack; many were seriously injured but they'd heal in time. Lelouch sat atop his new shop in Tokyo, letting a thin night drizzle of rain sprinkle on him. The way the water soaked his clothes and hair was refreshing, making him shiver in a mix of cold pleasure and close his eyes in relief. He always liked cold things; he had a fondness for growing cold for he felt that was what death, no matter the cause, felt like. He had been so distracted with his musing that he hadn't heard the flutter of wings.

He was suddenly thrown to the ground, his face landing in a puddle and splashing murky roof water into his eyes. He let out a sharp cry and tried to yank himself free. He heard footsteps approach him from behind and a deep chuckle. He knew who it was immedietely. "Emil, you bastard! Get your little croonies to release me at once!" He snapped wrathfully, tilting his head so he could glare through his bangs at the sneering angel.

"Oh Lelouch," He said slowly, "you don't know how much joy I'm getting out of seeing you like this. So, are you ready to just admit your guilt for what happened in Germany?" He asked, leaning down so he was almost face to face with Lelouch. His answer was the ebony haired male spitting on his face. He growled, standing abruptly and wiping his face on the back of his hand and then the hip of his white angelic robes. "Fine; I'll just put a little present in you until you're ready to accept divine judgment." He snarled while pulling out his sword. Lelouch vaguely registered the clink of steel and his eyes widened, his struggling becoming that must more savage and frantic. Emil's heels dug into his ankles while his assistants kept him from using his arm. And then he felt the sword pierce his flesh and he went to scream. The assistant on his left shoved three fingers into his mother, triggering Lelouch's memories of his mother. He lurched and jerked from side to side, trying to yank back and get the fingers from his mouth while break away from the sword in his back.

"He won't stay still!" The assistant to the right snapped worriedly. Emil remained silent as he ripped downward, Lelouch skin parting in a show of blood and tattered flesh. He calmly tugged a feather from his wings and shoved it in, using his whole fist just to add to Lelouch's agony. After he set the feather where he wanted he pulled his blood covered hand back out, pressed it over the open wound and muttered softly to himself in a foreign tongue. After a moment Lelouch tried to scream through the fingers, an electric jolt running up his back that was so powerful he swore it stopped and restarted his heart. And then, laying there gaping, he was left in the rain as the laughing angels flew away from what they'd done.

...

Silence fell between Lelouch and Suzaku when the raven locked male finished recounting his life up until this point with as much detail as possible. Suzaku had sat there, silent and dutiful, throughout the whole thing. He hadn't even gotten up to stretch his legs or go to the bathroom. "Is that why you've been so nice to me up until this point?" Suzaku asked in a faint whisper.

Lelouch glanced up and felt terribly guilty. He knew that if he answered with the truth, explained it had been at first but now it was out of a growing affection, he'd only confuse and upset him. He knew then that he could only assure Suzaku's safety, and sanity, by lying. "Yes. I wanted to tell you the truth because then your father would suffer. I aimed to turn you into the portrait of sin to avenge my fallen comrades, killed by your father's ignorance and influence," He responded as calm as ever. He knew it was late, Suzaku was most likely plagued with both jet lag and some form of turmoil over the truth he'd been revealed, and also that he should release the boy. He knew well if he did he may never hear from the child again but he had to risk it if it meant he could undo what he'd started; he no longer wanted to drag the beautiful, pure boy into the constant power struggle that existed between he and Emil. It was unfair to expect that of someone so young, someone so full of life. He didn't want Suzaku to end up like him; the Japanese boy was the same age as Lelouch had been, and still appeared to be physically, when he was dragged into all of this himself. "Now that you know the truth I assume you'll want to get home. It is three o'clock in the morning." He said, glancing at his wrist watch and then back at the emerald eyed male.

Lelouch jolted up, surprised completely, when Suzaku suddenly lundged forward and smashed their lips together. When he pulled back, his jade orbs glinting with determination, he was blushing a bit. "I'm not a little kid; I'm not afraid of what goes bump in the night anymore," He whispered lowly, meeting Lelouch's stunned gaze.

End

I leave you with a cliffhanger! I wish I'd made the chapter longer but I'm glad I left myself some more wiggle room until next time. I also hope it all makes sense because I'm even confusing myself. Until next time, please read, review, and have fun!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Eleven: Madness and Sins

_'Of course you aren't afraid; that's the angel instinct getting the better of you. But you shouldn't be so accepting of the truth, Suzaku. It's dangerous and it's tempting me to corrupt you even more,'_ Lelouch thought to himself sullenly, despite the facts he was still trapped in a rather fervent kiss with the male he was mentally berating. They were moving, with an amount of gracelessness that would have normally repulsed the sinful one, up the stairs to the bedroom. He let out a surprised little hiss when he felt his back hit the doorknob to his room but didn't move to break the kiss. _'Damn; for a kid who has only been kissed once he certainly seems to know what he's doing.'_ He thought dazedly as Suzaku's tongue took the chance to press into Lelouch's mouth. He mewled softly and let his own pink tongue dive forward into Suzaku's mouth. When they pulled away, both panting, Lelouch smirked a little bit. "You ate some toast before you came over, didn't you?" He asked softly.

"Is that a power of yours? You can see a persons' past?" Suzaku asked with a small smirk, leaning a little closer so that he and Lelouch's body's were that much closer. For a moment Lelouch contemplated grinding his hips into Suzaku's and demanding they cut the ideal chatter but decided against it; acting like a needy little thing would be too embarassing and he was the one who initiated the conversation in the first place. He smirked and tilted his head up, his lips just centimeters from Suzaku's.

"I could taste the butter and bread in your mouth," He whispered before lightly poking his tongue out and licking at the brunette's lower lip. He saw Suzaku blush but also heard a small, guttural moan come from the back of the male's throat. He then slipped back, his hand finding the doorknob, and pushed it open. He walked in backwards, one of his fingers indicating for Suzaku to follow. He was more than pleased when Suzaku quickly caught up to him and mashed their lips together again. "Does that disappoint you?" He asked in a hushed tone when they broke away for air.

"A little but I'm sure you could compensate for that in some way," Suzaku said with a sly smirk. Lelouch was again stunned by just how damn good the kind was at being devioous and sexy. Was it possible that Suzaku wasn't as pure as Lelouch previously thought or did he just have an excellent poker face? Lelouch smirked a bit and decided that his second option made the most sense; Suzaku was a modern high school student who had modern high school student friends, after all.

"Well I'm sure I have a way to make it up to you," Lelouch purred out, sitting on the side of the bed calmly. He then grabbed the front of Suzaku's shirt, pulled him on top of him and kiss him again. The second their lips locked their tongues slipped out, eagerly playing and taunting the other. Being pressed between Suzaku and the mattress was something Lelouch had silent mused during his moments in solitude over the past days but he hadn't imagined how delightfully warm the young angel's body would be nestled against his. "Suzaku." He purred lowly, one of his hands sliding into Suzaku's hair while the other slid up the back of his shirt. He felt the tanned flesh shutter and the muscles flexed under his touch.

"You hands are kind cold," Suzaku huffed in a low tone. Despite the temperature of the pale fingers caressing his smooth skin it was clear the contact was pleasing to him. Suzaku had heard from his friends that foreplay was no fun but he had to disagree; even the lightest of touch from Lelouch was driving him up the wall and making him feel dizzy with desire.

"Would you like me to take them back?" Lelouch asked with husky quality to his tone, his index finger just skimming along Suzaku's spine to the small of his back. He delighted in the needy groan that came from the other and the shiver that rocked his entire frame. Despite his years, Lelouch had never really conducted sexual actions with anyone, be they human or a creature from another world. He had never seen a point getting close, given his life span being so much grander than any human who he was interested in. But Suzaku... Once that angel's blood kicked in he'd live until the day a demon ripped his wings off and Lelouch knew he'd be able to keep any damned demon from laying so much as a finger on a single feather on the white wings that would appear. Suzaku leaned forward and nipped at Lelouch ear, causing him to moan lightly. "I'll take that as a no. Take of your shirt so I have a better view and reach of you." He stated in a gentlye voice.

The emerald eyed mal complied but was a little embarassed. While he felt like a fire was brewing in his gut and pure electricity was shooting through his veins instead of blood Lelouch seemed rather unruffled. He watched with half hooded eyes as those pale, cool fingers crawled over the newly exposed skin, two fingers catching a nipple and rolling it in a teasing manner. Suzaku gasped then growled, silently deciding that he was going to force a reaction out of the ebony haired male as well. "What about you, Lelouch? Shouldn't you get undressed a little too?" He panted out shakily.

"You do have a point there. I haven't been showing very good manners," He hummed musically before calmly slipping out of his shirt, tossing it over to the floor where it fluttered on top of Suzaku's. He could feel those dark green orbs scanning over him, searching for any imperfections and drinking in the sight. "I'm a rather speedy healer; I don't even have a scar from where you removed the feather for me." He explained calmly.

"Is that a special thing about being you?" Suzaku asked as he leaned back over, holding himself up with his hands while he settled into the mold of Lelouch's body. Lelouch's legs calmly spread and rested on either side of the other boy's hips, letting their groins be left to touch throgh the fabric of their trousers. Lelouch slid one hand up, stroking the side of Suzaku's face with just his fingertips.

"If I drink blood then I heal quicker. That's why I had you bring in the wine bottle for me," He said gently. He expected a disgusted grimace to mar Suzaku's handsome face and spoil the mood but instead his fingers were gently brought to the pale pink lips of the other, skin lightly brushing skin. It was such an affectionate gesture that Lelouch felt heat rise to his cheeks and his gaze shifted to the side. This both stunned and thrilled the young boy hovering over him; sweet, sensual touches seemed to be the paler male's weakness, the ticket to make Lelouch's pulse quicken.

Suzaku kissed him again, angling his head a bit to make it deeper than the previous ones. Lelouch opened his mouth and their tongues tangled, more caressing and stroking than battling for dominance. It was most likely because Suzaku had already taken charge and was clearly dominating over Lelouch, given his superior strength and that he was the one hovering a bit over the mattress. One of Suzaku's fingers slid over Lelouch perk pink nipples. He taunted it in a similar fashion to how Lelouch had done to him, grinning into the kiss at the weak mewls that tumbled from the other.

_'Delightful... It's so nice; the closeness, the friction, his presence... Simply addictive,'_ Lelouch thought vaguely, his mind beginning to clog up. He fell into a state where he was only somewhat aware yet also hyper-sensitive; a state that contradicted itself in a way he would normally be unable to tolerate. He was aware of very little except _feeling_; the feel of Suzaku pressed against him, the feel of his pants and black briefs being inched down from his body, and the final feeling of being connected to someone else in an extremely intimate and unfamiliar way.

...

Emil could literally feel his wings trembling with rage as he stood on the roof of the building across from Lelouch's little shop, watching the silhouettes moving in a fiery, passionate dance through the window. His son had been tricked, decieved, by his worst enemy! "This will not stand, Suzaku," He whispered to the night air. He knew his son wouldn't hear him, not given he was far too involved in his current acts with that walking temptation but he felt better pretending. He glared harder at the moving shadows, fists clenched tightly, and let out an low growl that was more akin to a rabid beast than a furious parent. "And you, too, Lelouch. It appears the time to put you out of your misery is upon us. As soon as Suzaku's angel blood kicks in, as soon as he is forced to accept his heritage, he will hlp me drag you down, whether he wants to or not. You never should have tried to pull my son in to this and hoped to turn him against me, you filthy cur; that was crossing the line!" He snapped ratherfully.

As he stood their, his little speech made, he clamped his eyes shut tightly and remembered the better times. When he had met Rin he hadn't been attracted to her for her looks or her innocence; be an angel he was not that cliche. He was attracted to the woman he met because she had told him the first day they met he had no chance with her. She had been the first girl to ever shoot him down and it was then, at that very moment, he realized just how much he loved the way she was so headstrong and had so easily rejected his first few attempts. When he finally did win her heart and got the ring on her finger he knew a joy that years of protecting the innocent had never been able to really give him.

The day Suzaku was born had been another such occurance. He had married Rin to have a child, yes, but he never knew he would become so bound to the little bundle the nurse would hand him. For a moment he had just held the small squirming child uncomfortably, as if he was not the father but a close male friend suckered into attending the birth, but then when he saw the little wisps of thin, curled chestnut locks and those bright, big forest green spheres looked up at him he realized that he wanted to protect Suzaku, wanted to support Suzaku, and some day he wanted to train Suzaku to stand by his side in the fight against the shadows. But now he knew his dreams were falling apart at the seems, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces, all because of his son's naivety and Lelouch's existance.

He opened his eyes and blinked a few times, seeing a peculiar figure hovering in front of the store. A girl was standing there and he saw a small flash. She was taking pictures of the store front? That was certainly bizarre, given the hour and that it was a young girl. Her hair was a pale pink, much like bubble gum. She turned around calmly, her garnet tinted irises gleaming with a coat of boredom. Her hair was in a bizarre fashion, a gold headband seperating the front and the back from one another. She wore a pink dress with what appeared to be a crimson colored shirt with long sleeves that reached her wrists underneath it. It was paired with white and pink striped socks and pink shoes that reminded him of what Alice from that animated Disney flick wore. She shifted, lifted her head, and met his gaze. Emil felt his heart freeze in his chest; normal humans could only see an angel if their wings were bound into their backs. "Hello, Emil," She said softly. It was less that he heard her but rather that he read her lips. She then gave a small smile, a light and airy giggle, then turned on her heels and began walking down the near empty streets of Tokyo. All Emil could do was watch her figure retreat and shiver, wondering if that girl was a friend or a foe.

...

C2 had enjoyed her time staying in the shadow realm with Kallen after such a long space of time since her last visit. Though Lelouch was wise, mature, and capable of getting blood on his own if he needed it she still fussed after him. Marianne the demoness, or "Mother" as he had once called her, was still alive and looking to remove her son from existance before he could lead the angels in a hunt after her. C2 was a lot better at sensing other creatures than Lelouch was, given he was still a rookie despite his years under her teaching, and she couldn't let him be killed because she felt like going out. She chose to leave shortly before she knew the Kururugi would be leaving as well; as long as Lelouch hadn't gone and started mocking Emil to his face she figured he'd be safe for a two weeks while she was away. Not to mention she'd been missing Kallen terribly, since she could only take a cat form in the human realm and Kallen was not fond of going to the shop when it wasn't a necessity. Lelouch was a kind man to his people but the decor of the shop was welcoming to none.

She walked along the sidewalk calmly, ignoring the people as she breezed past. The gate to the shadow realm was on the complete other side of town then the shop, which she'd always found rather strange. Lelouch had said, "None of the buildings close to the portal were available at the time and I find moving to be a hassle." She had summed it up to him being lazy and not wanting to be reminded of how untalented he was at any physical labor. She had let the discussion fall when he offered to order a pizza if she'd shut up.

A shiver ran up her spine and she jolted up when she felt hands on her sides. She looked up to be met with dark red eyes that reminded her of the color of blood. She sniffed the person holding her, deciding if they were a sinner or a pure soul, and she almost gagged at the scent. _'Too... much... Too many sins! Marianne!' _Her mind shrieked as the cold pang of realization hit her. She tried to struggle or screech but the smell of sins was too strong, halting her voice and paralyzing her body. If a person's soul bore too many sins it was no good for her kind and worked as a sort of weakness; it was the kryptonite of her race. She could taste fear in her mouth as the young girl Marianne had possessed walked into a nearby alley. There were so few people left wandering the streets that no one noticed or cared.

Once in the alley the young girl knelt down behind a trash can, one hand pressing C2 to the ground while the other pulled a small folding pocket knife from a pouch of the dress. "I haven't seen you since the day Lelouch was born, C2, and here you are trying to run away? Do you really think I'd hurt you?" She asked in a tone of mock-hurt. She flipped the blade open calmly with her thumb and smirked wickedly down at the paniking mass of fur beneath her. "It appears you've lost your manners. What a shame. I guess I'll just have to teach you a lesson and then send you with a message for that ungrateful son of mine."

End

This chapter was short but I hope the last chapters length can make up for it. Sorry my updates have been taking so long; I'm currently hunting for a job so I can have money! College won't pay for itself, after all. Okay, so the next chapter might take a while because it will be extremely long and will be the final chapter. Yes, that's right; the next one is going to be the last the one! But since it will be tying up everything it should take me a while to type and be an extremely long chapter. Well, tell me what you felt about this chapter and I hope to see you next time and in my future projects!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Geass. I do own the plot.

Chapter Twelve: Curtain Call of Madness

Lelouch was stirred from his deep sleep by the feel of warm fingers gliding along the side of his face. He blinked dazedly, his eyes locking on to a smiling tan face next to him. He smiled lightly and tilted his head, easing into the touch, and chuckled lightly. "I think I could start to like this," He said softly with a little grin. Suzaku matched his grin with a little smile.

"I'd certainly hope you'd like this. I don't want this is be a one-time occurrence, personally," He purred happily. Suzaku hadn't felt this happy in so long and hadn't know pleasure as amazing as what he and Lelouch had done that night. He grinned again and tilted forward, resting his forehead against Lelouch's and humming softly. "I really like getting to be close to you like this."

"Would you like me to make breakfast?" Lelouch asked suddenly with a little smile. Suzaku blinked a bit, stricken by this remark. He had never seen the other take a bite of anything; simply sipped that fine wine, which wasn't really wine, of his.

"Can you... Well, you know, actually handle food?" Suzaku questioned nervously as he watched Lelouch gracefully climb over him and out of the bed. The paler male calmly approached his dresser, pulled out a pair of black briefs and slipped them on. He then walked over to his closet, and slipped into a pair of black slacks and a white button-up top.

"Of course I can, Suzaku. I may need blood to maintain my strength and energy but I do have the ability to ingest food. I just don't necessarily need it; I just kind of eat as a way to pass the time," He explained while looking over, slipping the last button into place and then calmly flattening his collar. He chuckled as Suzaku sat up and watched him calmly. "I'm actually a magnificent cook. My roommate doesn't have much of a taste for it, but that's probably because she's a little off-kilter. And that's a lot, coming from someone like me." He joked lightly, not really minding to jab at himself.

"You have a roommate?" Suzaku asked, legs crossed Indian-style under the sheets and his elbows resting on his clothed knees. He then rested his chin in his hands as he watched the other put himself together calmly. Lelouch ran a quick hand through his hair, not really feeling the need to put himself together completely yet, and plucked out a black tie from his large collection, looping it under his flattened collar. "She isn't around very much, given I've never seen her hanging around."

"Oh, you've met her before," The ebony haired male mused as he fixed his tie to perfection," you just didn't know it. After all, not many sane people treat a four legged creature with fur, ears and no ability to communicate in any human language with respect. Sometimes even I don't take C2 seriously." Suzaku's eyes widened at Lelouch, who merely raised a black brow at him inquisitively. "You're honestly surprised by that? Considering you slept with an angel-demon hybrid last night and learned that you yourself have angel blood, the fact that my cat isn't a regular cat is what makes you wig out? You certainly are of a rare breed, Suzaku Kururugi." He stated with a sigh and shake of his head.

"Well, I guess you're right; all things considered it shouldn't faze me that C2 isn't just your basic cat. I should have realized it back when we first met and you were talking to her about pizza," The brunette agreed calmly, closing his eyes with his hand on his chin and nodding his head thoughtfully. Lelouch's left eye twitched and he sweat dropped as he watched his lover. Suzaku then opened his eyes, the deep emerald orbs alive with conclusion, and lightly plopped one fisted hand into the others palm. "Yup, that definitely should have been the red flag that you weren't really normal!" He said.

Amethyst orbs softened lightly with affection, a low chuckle coming from the man's pale throat. _'I shouldn't be surprised, really; of all the souls I've encountered over the years his really is the most unique and fun,' _He thought to himself gently. He watched as Suzaku nodded to himself and began gently musing what C2 may be. "She's a relative of mine, actually. She's my great odd grandmother on my father's side. She was the queen of Night Walker's prior to my birth and now she's training me so that I can take over as ruler and she can enjoy the concept of finally dying." He said calmly.

Suzaku blinked, tilting his head curiously. "Really? Why can't she die?" He asked interestedly. Lelouch thought for a moment, trying to find a good way to explain it. C2 had once, at the very beginning, but he so rarely listened to what the witch had to say his memory of it was a little fuzzy.

"The best explanation I can think of would be this; the ruler of the Night Walker is an entity similar to God and Satan. The ruler of the Night Walkers', however, has the option of stepping down and passing the responsibility over to a Night Walker relative. After that things get complicated and I'd be deviating away from your question, so back to the matter at hand, an apprenticeship must be struck between the ruler and their descendant. The ruler of Night Walkers' must pass all their knowledge on to their descendant and make sure they can accomplish the tasks ahead of them. Until the ruler feels secure in their descendant's abilities they remain in technical control, dictating all the descendant's moves and instructions to the Night Walkers," He said thoughtfully, closing his eyes in slight frustration as he tried to remember it all. He silently berated himself for not listening better and C2 for always being so dull and unexciting when it was of benefit to them both. "But that isn't all; the concept of immortality doesn't just pass on to the descendant right away. That's why I need blood. You see, since I am not yet the technical king of the Night Walkers I have limited power and such. My heritage did awaken and I have lived all these years, but only because I made sure to feed as necessary and because C2 was willing to offer a helping hand when the situation called for it. Once C2 deems me worthy of ruling her immortality will be stripped from her and given to me, which will in turn reverse our situations; she will need to feed and I'll be free to eat regular food or blood when I am in the mood to. It will also make me unable to be killed by any weapon from a human, angel, demon or fellow Night Walker. I will still be vulnerable to pain and serious injury, but my wounds will never end me. As it currently stands, anyone could technically kill me with the greatest of ease, which is why your father's presence is such a risk to my safety."

"You don't need to worry about my dad, Lelouch. No matter what happens I'll make sure to protect you," Suzaku said softly after a moment of silence, face completely serious and sincerity in those large green eyes. Lelouch smiled warmly and approached, gently weaving his arms around Suzaku's tanned neck and kissing him softly. He felt the other's warm hands rest on his hips gingerly, as if afraid too much pressure would break him.

"I know that very well, love, don't worry. For now, you get dressed and I'll start working on breakfast," He mumbled after they pulled apart, gently leaning back and letting his fingers linger on Suzaku's cheek. They smiled at each before Lelouch headed downstairs, leaving Suzaku to abandon the warmth of the sheets to slip into his cold clothes.

As Lelouch descended the stairs at a leisurely place he heard a small clattering and scratching noise coming from the very room he had been heading toward. He slowly entered the doorway, watching a small black figure struggle to press in from under the slim crack in the window. He'd left it open a smudge to keep fresh air circulating in the small room overnight. He smirked a bit to himself, recognizing the figure to be that of a certain female cat. "Welcome home, C2. Did you have fun with Kallen?" He asked with a small chuckled. The cat didn't respond; instead, she pushed off the windowsill and fell right into the sink. It had been left full with bubbly water to soak a few dishes Lelouch hadn't felt like washing right away. The water gushed out, flowing over the sides as the cat struggled to get to the edge, and Lelouch laughed lightly as he reached for the light switch. "Are you drunk? You know that you're no good at holding down anything with the tiniest bit of alcohol in it! You get drunk off a few bites of rum raisin ice cream, for pity's sake!" He jeered as he flicked the switch. It was then, as C2's trembling form began to try to push out of the murky water, that he saw some of the bubbles, specifically around where she'd fallen in, had turned to a slightly red tint. He rushed over and helped pull her out, noticing now the deep gashes, cuts and marks all over her. Hell, her left back leg was dangling, practically ripped clear off if not for the connection of a thin muscle! How the hell had she gotten in the sad state?

'_Lelouch... my back… There is something in my back__,__'_ Her voice pleaded faintly in his head, soaked in pain. He looked over and saw a strange jagged shape peeking out from one of her deep gashes. _'Take it... out... Please, Lelouch, just yank it out in your direction.'_ She ordered softly. He swallowed hard, fearing that doing this might only cause her even more pain. He reached up into a nearby cupboard and pulled out four white dish rags. He usually used them for drying his hands but he'd just washed them and had yet to do the dishes in the sink so they were still fresh. He set one next to C2, which he'd decided would be where he put whatever it was inside C2's back, and pushed the other two a little farther back so he could use them to try and stall her bleeding. _'Hurry up... I may not be able to die but this... hurts like nothing you could even imagine.' _She urged lightly, her entire body shivering terribly with the physical and mental strain she was being put through. Communicating must have been difficult, given that it took a great amount of concentrate to accomplish.

"It'll be okay, C2," He said gently before reaching back, letting his fingers brush the object. It felt a little like there were multiple points in it which made him apprehensive. He didn't want to run the risk of there being multiple points that would tear at C2's insides and cause even more damage. He felt a little lower and realized, with a small amount of relief, that the object was made of some form of plastic and was smoother farther down. He took hold of it best as he could. Given it was smooth and covered in the cat's blood, and then yanked. His fingers slipped and he only managed to get a little of it loosened. C2's eyes snapped wide and she yowled loudly in pain, making Lelouch jump in fear. He then returned, this time hooking his nails under a thin part that bulged out and gave it a sharp tug, yanking the object completely free and blocking the shriller, agonizing howl the cat beneath him released at the quick movement. He set it on the towel quickly and grabbed one of the towels, pressing it to the now deep, gaping mark on C2. He moved her with the utmost delicacy and placed her on the other towel so that it could stop the bleeding of any wounds on her other side while he pressed the rag to her back. He glanced over at item. His heart stopped at he stared at the plastic item.

It was a blood covered black king chess piece.

He looked down at C2 apologetically as she panted and mewled pathetically. His mother had found them again and had sent them a sign; a terrible, horrific sign that she had used C2 to deliver. It was a warning to Lelouch that his moments were numbered. "Lelouch, what... What happened?" Suzaku gasped as he stepped into the doorway, eyes wide in horror at the sight before him. Lelouch glanced up them looked down at C2 sadly, watching how her little chest heaved savagely with her haggard breathing.

"Suzaku... Can you go get the first aid kit from under the counter in the front of the shop?" He asked softly, one of his hands easing away from the towel on C2's back and coming t gently stroke under her chin, trying to soothe her and help her begin to breath more normally. If she kept up this she was going to pass out from dizziness. The young Japanese boy, realizing that the only biological family member Lelouch had left was in danger, nodded and darted off to fulfill the request as quickly as he could.

...

Lelouch stroked the fur along C2's neck in hopes of giving her some kind of comfort. She was lying on a home-made cat bed; a cardboard box with a pillow and a spare silk sheet Lelouch had located. She was breathing more evenly now, chest rising and falling steadily as she began recovering slowly. Suzaku was sitting across from Lelouch, a small scowl on his face, and the black king chess piece resting on the counter between them. "Your mother is coming after you?" He asked softly.

Lelouch gently brought out his hand and picked up the piece, examining it and pretending not to see the small spot of red on the counter from where it had been seated before. "Yes, this is a sign from her. When I was younger, before my blood reacted, I used to love to play chess with my family members. I always used to make my first move with the black king with the belief that the king should always make the one to lead his people. She left this as a symbol to me," He stated with a small sigh, setting the piece back down where it had been previously.

"I won't let her hurt you, Lelouch," Suzaku stated sternly. Lelouch's eyes softened on the younger male's words though he knew it wasn't really any good.

"Suzaku, there isn't very much you can do. My mother is a demon in the literal sense of the word. Perhaps if your angel blood had awakened you'd have a chance but this is something I'll have to do alone," He stated gently, reaching over and taking the other's hand in his own. He looked up, locking their gazes. "Not only that but I don't want you to get hurt or put in any danger because of this."

Suzaku stood up quickly and looked at Lelouch sternly. "I'm not letting you do this alone, Lelouch. You may not want anything to happen to me but I don't want anything to happen to you either. I'm going to talk to my dad and see if I can set him straight on what happened. Maybe if he hears it from me he'll be more inclined to listen and give us dealing with your mother," He said while taking back his hand. He leaned over quickly, giving Lelouch a quick peck on the lips, before darting off into the early morning light.

'_Maybe he isn't as bad as I originally thought,'_ C2 said in a soft, gentle tone. Lelouch's violet orbs looked down and locked with half open amber spheres locked on him. Her tail flicked and he almost thought she smiled. _'You deserve a little happiness after the hell you've been through, considering you basically had to isolate yourself to avoid getting hurt over the years. Since he seems to be a decently sane angel so his life will be around the same length as yours... Meaning it won't end until you're ready for death. And I'll be able to live out the rest of my life with Kallen.'_

"I guess you're right," He said with a small smile. He imagined spending years with Suzaku, watching the world turn and enjoying their numberless days together. He realized, with surprise, that he liked the idea of spending that unending time with Suzaku, living in the shop and simply being together. Lelouch had never thought he'd be the type to enjoy lounging in the company of another for extended periods of time, given he could hardly tolerate the time with C2 and was always grateful when she'd leave for her private retreats with Kallen, but the idea of being with Suzaku at practically all hours of the day held a large degree of appeal to him. He assumed that it was what was, at the risk of sounding cliché, considered to be true love. "I just hope that things go well with Emil. That old geezer is far from a kind soul, despite what he is."

'_Well I guess we can just hope and pray for now,'_ C2 said gently. The cat closed her eyes again, sleepily relaxing into the warm and plush pillows beneath her. _'Or, rather, we can prepare. You still have that old hunk of metal, right?' _She asked him. Lelouch picked his cane up from behind his chair and twirled it, making sure C2 could it. He then popped it open, pulled the blade from its sheath and began to sharpen it with a black leather strap._ 'Excellent. Keep that one you at all times; we don't know when Marianne will show up. You still remember how to wield that thing? It's been so long since the last time you've had to use it, after all.'_

"I may not have had to use this thing recently but I still know how," He assured her before standing and walking out from behind the counter. He twirled the blade into the air and caught it easily between his fingers, watching how the silver metal glinted in the low lighting of the shop. He moved it, slashing at the air before doing a few quicker, rather impressive motions. He then smirked a little bit, twirled on his heels, and slashed the box C2 was in just above her, the now separated top flopping over and landing on the ground harmlessly. A purple cat head poked out and hissed bitterly at the smirking male.

'_I personally feel that I've been through enough these last 24 hours! I'd be quite grateful if you could not put any more stress on me than absolutely necessary!'_ She snapped in his mind angrily. He merely chuckled, walked over and impaled the cardboard on the floor. He held it up and waved it, grinning when he saw that the thin brown paper was beginning to cut and slip down along the sharp blade. _'Well I guess that's a little relaxing to now; you've clearly got that thing at the perfect sharpness.' _C2 mused softly, beginning to relax again. Lelouch nodded lightly and returned to his seat, wondering if the sword would be enough of a defense. Perhaps he should have more faith in Suzaku's success with dealing with his stubborn father. He shook the thought away, slipping into a state of hyper-awareness that he'd learned over the years.

And now to play the waiting game.

...

The door made a painfully loud slamming sound, follwed by a few objects on shelves rattling unevenly or falling to the ground. Emil, who had been sitting on the couch watching the news, perked up and looked up to be met by a pair of fiery emerald orbs. "Ah, Suzaku, you're home," He stated flatly while picking up the remote. He turned it off and glanced back at his son calmly. "I thought I told you not to associate with that Lelouch fellow? He gives me a bad feeling and I really don't want him making an impression on you."

"Bull shit," Was the response his son offered, causing him to rise with an angry scowl on his face. Suzaku stood his ground as his father approached, the look of hate and determination in those eyes reminding Emil of his own younger years as a young angel cadet. He considered it the proof that Suzaku was his son in not only name but in spirit.

"What did you say to me, young man?" He asked in a rough and eeriely calm voice. Suzaku glared harder at him, more rage brewing deep in his gut.

"I said bull shit," He said lowly, meeting his father gaze. He used to fear this look, the cool glaze of anger that made those brown eyes seem black, but now they no longer fazed him. The years he'd spent without his father's guidance had made him stronger on the inside and resentful, which gave him his courage to stand up now. "Lelouch told me the truth about you, him and I. I know you've got a grudge against him for something he didn't do."

"And you're going to believe what he has to say? Suzaku, he's just using you to get back at me," Genbu snarled bitterly. Suzaku glared even more at him and clenched his fists at his side. "Lelouch is nothing but a mistake, a terrible bastard who needs to be stopped! He'll do anything for some cheap amusement! Do you know how many innocent people died in the Holocaust - no, the whole damn second World War - because he wanted to be freed from his boredom? He must be punished for the sins he has committed, son! It is our job, as angels, to bring the unjust before the judgment of God!" He bellowed lowly.

"Lelouch told me everything," Suzaku said calmly, eyes locking on his father's. He watched him flinch a bit at the sound of his son's voice rising to defy him again. "He told me that at first he was just trying to manipulate me into helping him get back at you. But then Lelouch's good side kicked in and he began to feel guilty for what he was doing to me. Last night he told me that if I wanted to leave and never see him again, or even tell you what he told me and come after me with you, he couldn't blame me. He's not evil; he's actually just like a human with the need to feed on blood and a dislike of the sun." He said gently, a small smile coming to his lips as he thought of the ebony locks, pale soft skin and vivid amethyst orbs of the young shop keeper.

"Night Walkers are nothing like humans, Suzaku!" His father snapped angrily, wiping the smile of his son's face and snapping him from his thoughts. His father shook his head and growled again. "No, no! This isn't happening; no son of mine would honestly stand beside a Night Walker! You must be taught, corrected! Once your angel breeding begins to kick in more you'll finally realize your error. Yes, yes, that's what will happen." He said with a small amount of relief.

"There's nothing wrong with I think or feel and I won't let you brainwash me," Suzaku said flatly, his glare returning. Emil felt his blood turn to ice as that defiant gleam return to the young teen's eyes. "I'm too old for that and I'm a pretty good judge of character; if Lelouch was truly as evil as you say I'd know it. Besides, wouldn't my angelic blood have been spurred to react, if my life was in danger of being ruined?" Though Suzaku's knowledge of angel's was limited, because his source was Lelouch who had no idea how angel heritage worked, he was just going off of what his mind deemed logically. When his father's face became blank, stern, he knew he'd been right. "So doesn't that blow a huge hole in your claim? I'm the proof that your idea was wrong!"

Emil let out a low, heavy sigh. He reached up and lightly massaged his temples, trying to ward off a growing headache. How could he have really made this big of a mistake? He had known Suzaku would be resentful, rebellious given he was a teenager in modern society, but he hadn't expected such resistance from his son. Lelouch had truly corrupted his young boy. "You do not know what you're talking about, my son," He began as calmly as he could, "and I think it'd be best if you understood that. You have not known that boy as long as I have. Clearly the time for talk is done; Lelouch must be removed to restore peace and free you from his warped clutches."

"What?" Suzaku snapped angrily, his gut twisting itself into multiple knots. He then turned to go for the door, to flee and return to Lelouch's side, but was stopped when his father grabbed hold of his arm with surprising strength. "Let me go, you psychopath!" He yanked back, trying to pry his father's fingers off his wrist. It was an iron grip that wouldn't yield no matter how hard the younger male struggled.

"It's time I tended to my responsibilities as your father, Suzaku," He said as he all but dragged the other boy along. He opened Suzaku's door with one hand and shoved him into the room with the other. He was proud of the horror in those deep jade orbs when they spotted the new bars bolted over his window; an addition Emil had installed himself after returning with the disgrace of his son's mistake on his shoulders. He'd even reversed the knobs of Suzaku's door so that it locked on the outside instead. "One of the things I owe you is to make sure that you stay out of harm, that you stay safe; even if it means I must keep you trapped like a rat to do so."

"You're insane! No father, no matter how much he disapproaved of what his son was doing, would do something like this! You must have a screw loose!" Came his son's response after the shell-shock wore off. The fury on Suzaku's face didn't even faze Emil. Not knowing what else to do, the younger brunette hopped back to his feet and tried to rush his father and get past him; it resulted with a fist making contact with his stomach and effectively knocking the wind right out of him. To make sure his point got across, however, Emil then flung his son back and watched him fall to the ground coughing and wheezing. Was he pleased to have to resort to such means? Of course not but if it was to protect Suzaku from being soiled by his innocence he would do what he must.

"You'll thank me for this some day, Suzaku," His father answered with a small, sad little smile. He shut the door behind him and locked it. After a second of jiggling from the handle he knew Suzaku realized what had happened and began beating his fists against the wood. Emil turned away and sighed, pained to know his son was so upset with him. Why could Suzaku see that this was all for the best? Why did he have to be so damn resistant to his father's excellent guidance and attempts to help him? He knew Suzaku was going to keep acting like this so Emil decided to take a walk and try to figure out how to handle the whole thing.

He did, however, know one thing for certain; Lelouch was going to have to die.

...

It was the wind that caused Genbu to notice the long locks of pink hair blowing in the wind and the same sharp ruby eyes from the previous night tuned in on him, searing and seeing through his clever human disguise. "Hello, young girl. May I be of assistance?" He asked her calmly, eying her with the stare of a well-trained soldier. He noticed that her dress had a few red stains now added on, most likely from some sort of confection she'd munched on. He did find it bizarre, however, that she was in the same outfit as the night before.

"I think we could help each other, actually," She said with a small, somewhat gentle smile turning up her lips. She tilted her head toward the direction he'd been walking, turning her body to follow the path. He blinked a few times before walking along the sidewalk beside her, keeping a sideways watch of her. She smiled and hummed lightly, her very essence that of innocence and joy. "I know who you are, Emil, and I know what you're planning to do tonight." She said wistfully. His eyes widened a bit and he cleared his throat quickly, intending to halt her assumptions.

"I believe you have me confused for someone else. My name is-" He was cut off when she held up one hand and pinned him with a somewhat scolding sideways glance. He let his words drop off there and felt contempt and annoyance begin to cloud over his eyes. "Very well, you clearly don't want to listen to me. Say what you will, whether it be true or false." He said dismissively, pulling back his coat and looking at his wrist watch as if in a hurry of some kind.

"I promise to make this as painless and quick as possible. But I do have your full attention, yes?" She asked casually. He remained silent, instead opting to shove his jacket sleeve back down over his watch. She smiled and nodded lightly. "Excellent. I hate an unattentive audience. Now, as I said before, I know that your real name is Emil and I know you have a deep rooted hatred for a young Shadow Walker named Lelouch. I'm offering to aid you in your plans for revenge."

"What are you? No mere human could know all of that information and I can tell you are not angel nor demon. You do not carry the scent or air of either race," He said calmly. This girl seemed to be human in appearance, in grace and in her very essence. Emil was a top-rate angel; he could sense a demon from a mile away. "Are you perhaps a Shadow Walker yourself? That seems to be the only logical explanation."

"One of my parents was human while the other was indeed a Shadow Walker. Due to this I seem more human than the others of my race. And I'm also hated by those around me because I am mixed with the blood of the average being," She explained gently, her voice detached and cool. He silently agreed, deciding that was a logical enough scenario. "I hate the prince of ours because he has never tried to help other Shadow Walker's like myself. Perhaps a new face is necessary before this one even has a chance to do any more severe damage, such as he did in Germany all those years ago, if you ask me." She said in an appalled yet low tone, her eyes glinting with her conspiracy theory. Emil blinked quickly then regarded her with a gentler, more intrigued, stare.

"You believe that he was the one who caused that as well?" He asked cautiously. Emil had been mocked by all Shadow Walkers, and quite a few other angels, for his belief that Lelouch was the one who planted the seed that caused that horrific plant to grow. Those he team never told him he could tell just by looking at them that even they were skeptical over the full likelihood of his idea. After all, as the critics of Emil's idea claimed, Shadow Walker's had just as much to lose back then as the angels and the humans did.

"Believe it? Why, I know he did! He's just too damn smart and his followers are just too damn loyal to help put a stop to him. They fear they'll be punished for the sins of their leader," She said in a determined yet equally disappointed tone of voice. She shook her head and sighed lightly. "That is the curse of the Shadow Walker; always afraid of what will be done to us for being outcasts." She explained.

"If the Shadow Walkers would tell the truth we wouldn't have to punish the innocent among them," He said calmly. So it all fell into place with the assistance of this one little girl. He nodded a bit, silently mocking the ones who had doubted him before. Oh how they'd fall and beg forgiveness when Lelouch was gone and his people spoke the whole truth to them all! How they'd gravel before him! And Suzaku... His son would beg to repent, to be forgiven just as well. He'd finally have his wonderful son back.

"You try telling that to people who have been mistreated by both sides of the line. That is the only reason we are in the middle; all the injustices we suffer from both sides don't sway us to preference," She said gently. She then shook her head. "But back to the matter at hand. I know all of Lelouch's weaknesses, his habits, and how you could make him fall. I'll help you to defeat him if you'll share the glory of the kill." She said calmly.

He blinked in surprise and stopped short. She stopped a few paces ahead of him before turning on her heels and looking at him curiously, head cocked and fingers laced behind her back. "That is really all you want?" He asked in sheer surprise. Even some angels demanded more from him when working together to end a tragedy from occurring. She smiled lightly at him, her eyes soft and warm.

"I told you; my own people hate me. If I can just help restore our honor, prove to them that I am strong and brave, then I'll be accepted. Do we have a deal?" She asked, holding out one of her hands promptly. He glanced at it and then nodded and shook on it. She smiled wider. "Excellent. Return to the building I saw you on last night at midnight. We'll make out plan then; Lelouch likes to stand on the roof around one in the morning on rainy evenings." She said, giving his hand a little squeeze. He nodded, turned and quickly walked through a nearby crosswalk before the flashing red hand stopped, ignoring the honking horns and swears erupting from the drivers around him. That gentle smile turned into a predatorily, sinister smirk.

She shifted her gaze to a few children on skateboards nearby and felt her stomach grumble lightly. She rubbed the area with her hand before heading over with a little grin. Her plans for the day accomplished, she needed a good little snack to help her with her victory. And human children were just a too delightful delicacy for her to pass up; especially ones so unguarded and rebellious as the ones before her now.

If Emil had thought to look back he may have caught sight of that devious look. Perhaps if he had things would have been oh so different. If he'd turned back he would have watched how she flirted with the boys, twirling a lock of hair around one finger in a coy manner, and seen her for what she really was. But he didn't for he was far too busy musing over the act to be committed that night. As he walked away he didn't realize the huge mistake that no angel had ever made before that he'd just agreed to.

Emil had just made a deal with a demoness.

...

"Damnit, damnit, damnit!" Suzaku snapped angrily, pacing across his room angrily. He didn't have any idea how he was supposed to get out of his room. His father had clearly had too much free time on his hands; anything the young brunette could have used to pick the padlock on the bars had been taken out and most likely locked up in another room of the house. His mother wouldn't be home for hours and now things were even more hectic; Emil wasn't the only one planning to take Lelouch out. And without any form of help Suzaku's help the chance of success was slim to none.

He perked up, watching as the sun began to sink low behind the mountains. _'No... No! I'm running out of time!'_ He thought desperately, running toward his closet and looking frantically for a wire hanger. Maybe if he could bend the tip the right way he could use that to pick the lock. He perked up and smirked when he spotted a blue blazer of his hanging on the very thing he was looking for. He yanked the blazer off and tossed it on to the bed carelessly, plucking the wire hanger off the wooden support beam for his clothes. He walked over to the window, opening it and using the sill to straighten out the curved portion. He smirked a bit to himself and set to work, growling as he attempted to work over the lock.

"What are you doing?" A cheerful voice asked him curiously. He jerked up to be met with a boy about a year or so younger than him grinning at him. The boy had golden blonde locks that were tied off into three little braids in the back of his head. His eyes were a perky, sapphire blue and his skin was an apricot tint. He was grinning, one leg crossed over the other, with his elbow resting on his lifted knee and holding up his head. That, however, wasn't the bizarre thing about the boy; it was the pearly white wings, reminiscent of a white dove, that were lightly flapping gently to keep him up in the air. "Oh, how rude of me! I'm Gino Weinberg!" The boy said brightly. The grin he flashed Suzaku was so brilliant and happy Suzaku was momentarily staled from his current task of getting the damn window open.

"Not trying to be rude here, but what are you doing here? Are you here to make sure I don't bust out because my dad's a lunatic?" He asked bluntly, glaring a bit at the blonde before resuming his task. He mumbled a few swears under his breath while trying to get the accursed lock to nudge and shift as he wanted it to. "Stupid lock! How am I supposed to help Lelouch if I'm locked up?" He growled while one hand clutched at his auburn curls with frustration.

"Well, first things first," The male angel, called Gino, began cautiously, "how exactly does your plan work? I mean, you live on one of the upper levels of this complex. Even if you pick the lock, you can't really jump out the window. I mean, a fall from this height would probably kill you, you know?" Suzaku flinched, annoyed that a huge hole had been poked in his logic. "And your angelic blood hasn't reacted yet so it's not like you'd be able to fly like I can."

"Well, now that you've pretty much screwed everything up for me, what do you want? Are you some lackey of my dad's, sent to make sure I stay here and don't try anything funny?" He snapped angrily, eyes lighting to a softer, jade-like tint with his glare. He was less frustrated with this new angel and more so with his own father. Why couldn't he just accept that Lelouch wasn't the one at fault, that perhaps his father had been wrong about it?

"I have nothing to do with Emil. My boss sent me to help you out," He said cheerfully with a little grin. Suzaku blinked, completely confused by this. There was an angel that was in agreement with Lelouch and Suzaku? An angel who was willing to believe and accept the truth?

"What do you mean?" He pressed suspiciously, watching how Gino moved. The young boy unfolded his legs and let them droop below him, his hands coming up and lacing behind his head calmly.

"Well, my boss is a higher up than Emil, or your father," He began with a little smile. He did a little back flip before letting his arms dropping and looking at the bars. "You see, I'm the best in my squadron and my boss thinks that you have great potential to help rebuild the tatter bridge between angels and Night Walkers. Even though your angel blood hasn't been kicked in you've still lived a relatively sin-free life, aside from what you did the other night, and have a very open mind. You're very headstrong but at the same time you're willing to listen to both sides before deciding where you stand on an issue. That's something that a lot of older angels have lost, making it harder to really deem when and what degree of punishment is appropriate here and there. Anyway, because I'm the best of my group I was sent to help you trigger your angelic blood and try to stop the plans your father and Marianne have against Lelouch for tonight. Before we can go, of course, I need to stir up your blood, give you a sword and teach you the basics of flying. But don't worry about that; it'll be really easy and fast training. You won't even realize that it was training!" Gino beamed as he finished his explanation, still all smiles and positivity. Suzaku blinked a few times, shaking his head and trying to sort the new information out. Why was it that his entire life was being altered now? And why did he have to get all this culture-shock information within an only 48-hour time span?

"What do you mean by plan? My dad and Lelouch's mom are working together to get him?" He asked frantically as his mind caught up with him. Gino fluttered over calmly, taking the coat hanger from the lock before holding one hand over it. The light click of mechanics was heard before the lock fell open easily. He pulled the padlock out, held it up and grinned at Suzaku before calmly pulling open the bars and letting it swing to the other side of its large metal hinges.

"Your father doesn't know it yet but he's made a deal with Marianne to end Lelouch's life, which is a big no-no for angels. Taking out a contract of any sort with a demon is a sin punishable by expulsion from the Heaven," He stated calmly. He grabbed Suzaku's hand, pulled him out and flew to the roof of the building. He set Suzaku down and landed as well, his wings curling in a bit but the tips still just barely touching the cement of the roof.

Suzaku blinked a little bit, baffled by this statement. "Then how are Night Walkers conceived? Lelouch told me they were born when an angel and demon create a child, but isn't marriage considered a contract as well?" He asked curiously. Gino shook his head, hands gently finding his hips.

"Marriage isn't viewed as a contract in the eyes of God; it is how two people who love each other, regardless of race and sex, commit to one another. A contract between an angel and demon to end the life of someone in between, however, is something much different," He said calmly before he sat down Indian-style, indicating with one hand that the other male copy the action. Suzaku sat down slowly, watching Gino cautiously. "Anyway, we need to focus on awakening your angelic blood so we can go and help out Lelouch. First, I need you to relax so that this can be done right. It's going to feel weird and it might even hurt a little bit but you just need to bare with it, okay?" He asked gently. He was answered with a silent nod. "Okay, here goes nothing." He mumbled while placing his hand on the other angel's forehead.

At first there was just a little bit of warmth from the newly initiated physical contact between them, which made Suzaku wonder if this was really going to be as back as the other had implied. That was when a rush of searing pain screeched down along his spine, shifting and almost crawling. It felt as if one of his spinal joints was twitching and shifting, elongating. He felt it beginning to press against his skin before he felt it snap out and felt the skin ripping in response. He groaned lowly, part of him screaming to get away and the other screaming to stay still for the sake of Lelouch. He forced himself to stay still, thinking solely of Lelouch's safety. He glanced back curiously and watched, as if hypnotized, at the bone framing of his newly developing wings. Slowly the skin that had been ripped began to mend, crawling upward over the bone. He noticed other, thinner bones beginning to trail down to complete the whole skeletal frame of the wings just as the skin began to flow down to match the form. After the bone was smothered by the flesh he felt little bumps that almost sort of tickled pressing out against the newly established flesh. He closed his eyes then, groaning at the feel of the little pricks. There was suddenly what seemed to be a rush of wind from the little bumps and then Gino's hand was gone. He opened his eyes, looking first at Gino's grinning face, and then back at his splendid white wings. "Will... Will they always take that long to form?" He asked with a quick swallow of nothing. His throat was still scratchy and dry, a side effect from being so stunned.

"No way. They'll just sort of materialize when you need them now. Your body just needed to get to see how it was done once, since you're kind of new to this whole thing," He explained calmly before standing again. He helped Suzaku up calmly, seeming concerned the other boy would be unsure of his footing after the new development. Much to Suzaku's surprise it was not as painful as Gino had implied at all; after the bones had snapped out from his spine, of course. "Now, back to our current focus... Your weapon of choice needs to be decided. If we're going against a demoness and a high-class rebel angel you'll need the ideal weapon. It's got to match your personality to assure your success in handling it." Gino mused aloud thoughtfully.

"Well, give me an example and maybe I can make a suggestion. Like, for example, what's your weapon?" Suzaku asked, clearing his throat lightly and trying not to sound too put-off. Was this all absolutely necessary right now? He could use his fists and his words to ward off his father and Lelouch's accursed mother. He could get a weapon afterward, couldn't he? They'd have more time for it after the crisis was averted.

"Well, my weapon is the yumi," Gino said thoughtfully, tapping his chin likely. He nodded his head a bit, as if going over his words in his head to make sure they were right. "I was given the yumi because I have a keen eye for detail, though you probably already noticed that. I rarely apply it to situations where it isn't absolutely necessary though. I was also given the yumi because I'm as fast as arrow when I fly, and I like to offer people my assistance from a distance; never really taking credit for what I do or expecting a reward or thanks or anything. Of course, the attributes you have are different than mine and will hold different truths to who you are as an individual." He said with a little grin. Gino jolted up suddenly, turning his attention to a fat cloud passing over head. His eyes widened and his grin became that much more excited. "Oh yeah, that's a perfect fit for this guy! Go ahead and send it down! I'll be sure to explain everything to him!" He said cheerfully.

With a sudden swish of air around Gino's right hand a naginata appeared in his hands. The blade glinted in the fading light of the sun, almost seeming to wink at its soon-to-be owner. The wooden staff was a light white tint, perhaps made from the wood of a birch tree. By the corner where the wood and metal met a long blue streak was added, made of yawn, and a piece of the blue yawn dipped free with two white feathers tied on, two golden beads resting a top the knot binding the feathers to the yawn. "That's my weapon?" Suzaku asked in surprise, slowly reaching toward it. The blonde angel handed over happily and nodded in agreement.

"The naginata was what my boss decided was the best choice for you for a few reasons," He began as Suzaku examined the new tool in his possession, "and the main was what you're hoping to accomplish. The naginata distances one from their opponent while still having the ability to dish out effective damage. You mean to distance threats from yourself and Lelouch, to protect you both but while not having to let the threats get close enough to harm either of you. Because of your headstrong yet caring personality a blade had to be included in some part of your weapon. The katana was a bad choice because while it is effective it is very good at landing killing blows. You are like a lot of angels; killing isn't something you want to have to do unless it's your last option. The naginata can keep your enemies without necessarily killing them. It's precise, lethal when necessary, and good for both close-combat and distance fighting. The wooden section can be used as a shield in a pinch as well." He explained cheerfully. Suzaku looked at the weapon he held, realizing everything Gino had said was true, and then glanced back at him. "Now that that is out of the way, let's get to teaching you the basics of flying and fighting. I can do this portion telepathically so let's sit and get to it, okay?" The brunette nodded and the two sat, Gino's hand coming to rest on Suzaku's forehead again.

And with that, the training began.

...

AN: Okay, so let's call this the halfway point where I toss you some brain fodder to ponder over while you read! Who do you think Gino's boss is? If your guess is Charles or V2, my sincerest apologies. Do you have any other ideas? Let me tell you this much; unless you take apart all the information I've given you until this part it's going to be one heck of a plot twist! Speaking of plot, shall we return to it? And let's start out with a conversation between Gino's boss and one of their subordinates to see if some of you can figure out who they are! Also, angels have two names; their angelic name that God chooses for them and the name they respond to on Earth. So the name will not be familiar but trust me when I say they have shown up once already, even if only for a small bit role. Also, I'd like to take this chance to thank all of you for reading and supporting this story! I hope the ending is to your satisfaction!

...

"Lady Grace, I have brought news directly from Him for you!" An exhausted messenger angel under her jurisdiction, known as Jeremiah, proclaimed. She shifted in her seat, turning it to face him. One of her legs was crossed over the other gracefully, her head resting in one hand. She had been silently brimming with joy upon Suzaku's angelic blood reacting so easily and smoothly, thankful because it would aid in her argument that he be placed in her care. Someone with his impeccable breeding would be very useful in mending the ties between the angels and the Night Walkers. She eyed the other angel with a delicate raise of an eyebrow.

"And what seems to be the message, Jeremiah?" She asked carefully. She twirled a lock of hair around one finger and kept her gaze transfixed on him. She was in no mood for beating around the bush or bumbling relaying. She had very little time for such a thing and she had learned, when faced with grand news from Him, Jeremiah tended to be a little overwhelmed with the task.

"He has made two proclamations; the first is that the newly born angel, a Kururugi Suzaku, shall be added on to your task force for you to do with as you see fit. The second is that the task of apprehending one rebel angel, Sir Emil, has also been deemed as your responsibility. He said that as long as you complete that task He will not argue with making Kururugi one of your understudies," He said quickly, tone stern and much more balanced than usual. A small smirk turned up on her lips, delighted with both bits of news, and stood. "Lady Grace?"

Her celestial white robes hung over her shoulders a tad bit, revealing the skin. The sleeves were just a few centimeters below where her shoulder ended and cut up just above where cleavage would be visible over her chest. It hugged her form, accenting her shape and belly, where a thin diamond of fabric had been cut out to reveal her flesh and naval. It dipped all the way down, the thin yet durable fabric following after her like a wedding train. "Lord Jeremiah, shall we go prepare to go down? I'd like to see how well Gino, Suzaku and Lelouch can handle themselves," She mused happily.

"But, Lady Grace, aren't you supposed to be the one to apprehend Sir Emil?" He balked, quickly darting after her. He stayed a few steps back to assure he did not step on her flowing robes. He knew very well that Lady Grace was a stickler for grace, beauty and humility in every sense of the word.

"Yes, Jeremiah, but there's no harm in seeing how well my little rookies can handle themselves. I'll let them wear Emil out and then I'll jump in and take him down," She explained with a little giggle, her wings beginning to materialize as she peered down at the large parting of the clouds that gave one a few of the blue sky between Heaven and Earth. "And if those two don't seem to be holding up very well, we'll jump in and offer our assistance, of course."

"That may very well be true but Sir Emil has partnered himself with the demoness Marianne! Satan himself resents her, and she is of his people!" He fretted frantically. Shock registered on his mistress' face but she didn't turn to show it. She gave a small chuckle and smirked to herself.

"That crazy old bitch still lives? Well, I shouldn't be too surprised; she is a tricky old thing," She hummed lightly, missing the aghast face her subordinate made at the swear she had uttered in reference to the other woman. She flicked her wrist, waving her hand at Jeremiah in a dismissive manner. "Oh well; she's aged quite a bit and I doubt she'll be much of a problem. If we're lucky Lelouch will be able to take her out before Suzaku and Gino even show up. That'd make Emil even that much easier to catch." Though her tone was filled with nonchalance inside worry and a small speckle of alarm was blaring inside her head.

'_Emil, you're always been stubborn but to think you'd go this far, just to try and prove you were right... It's sad that such a noble angel has been reduced to this, whether he knew he was making a deal with a demon or not. He should have known not to put such blind faith in a stranger__,__ who was clearly not a normal human,'_ She chided to herself. She then shook her head and the thoughts of the other angel aside.

She had her orders to follow, regardless of personal opinion.

...

Lelouch looked out at the darkening sky and sighed heavily. Clearly this discussion with Emil was taking much longer than he had anticipated it was. Was it possible that Suzaku was actually making progress, hence why he'd been out for so many long hours? That didn't seem to make any sense and it irked the inky haired youth. Perhaps Emil had tried to do something drastic? He would have gone out and investigated but the idea of leaving C2 all alone in her state was too unappealing. Her wounds were all almost completely healed but she was still very tired and needed attention. Besides, if Marianne showed up while he was out his teacher would be left defenseless. No matter how much he wished to run to Suzaku's side, he felt the other could handle himself and decided to remain where he was, completing his obligations to the woman who had become like a second mother to him over the years.

C2 herself was also analyzing something; Lelouch. She was noticing how much mature he'd become over the years. He was stronger and smarter. When she remembered how inadequate as a Shadow Walker he'd been at the beginning she resisted the urge to groan in annoyance or laugh at what an idiot he'd been. He had made many mistakes, much like C2 herself had when she was much, much younger, but he'd learned from them quite well. She smiled lightly, remembering the many days she and Lelouch had shared since that terrible evening when Marianne attacked her only son, and silently applauded the young man for becoming such a wonderful individual.

But was he strong enough to fight off his furious mother, a strong and skilled demon, and Emil, the rebellious angel that had been making his life miserable for many years now? She felt that Suzaku removing the feather with the angel's curse had definitely put Lelouch on even terms with the angel but his mother was still a rather large hurtle. As long as the two of them didn't attack together and showed up with a decent gap of time between their strikes Lelouch would have a good enough chance at recovering a bit to fend them each off. She shook her head lightly. _'Marianne and Emil could never work together; it goes against everything angel's are taught. At least that isn't likely to happen. And if Marianne and Emil showed up at the same time Emil would most likely help Lelouch defeat her before going after him,' _She thought to herself, trying to relax herself again. Being optimistic was the best option for her to roll with right now. There wasn't much else she could do, really.

"I'm going to go out on the roof and keep an eye out for Emil or my mother," Lelouch stated calmly while standing from his spot behind the counter. No Shadow Walkers would be coming out tonight; word of what had happened to C2 had been spread by Kallen at Lelouch's request when she came by to get some food. The red-haired female had looked ready to throttle anyone for the damage done to the woman she loved, seeming ready to attacked Lelouch when he told her to go, and had slammed the door so roughly with her exit it knocked over a few jars and broke them.

'_Are you sure that's such a good idea?'_ C2 asked him worriedly, rising her head shakily to look at him over the shortened edge of the box. She was still somewhat annoyed at how he had slashed the box in half sideways before without a single warning to her; in her delicate state she didn't need any thrills or surprises. Lelouch slipped his sword back into its sheath, twirling it like the regular cane it appeared to be, while glancing down at her.

"Sitting in here, watching the door, is making me feel like a sitting duck. Besides, the likelihood of either of them actually using the front door is very slim," He explained calmly. He then crossed the room, twirled the sign around to say closed, and pressing the lock in to place. He then walked back and gave C2 a small pat on the head. "There; Suzaku's the only one with a key so you'll be fine. Neither one of them will try to pick the lock or break the door because it'd attract too much attention from strangers, plus it'd take time and could leave a chance of me catching them in the act. Plus, from the roof an aerial attack could be easily ruined. It'd be easy to just jab them in a wing and immobilize them long enough to get them contained. Unless, of course, the one attacking is my mother. If it's my mother than I'll cut her down and end her life to assure she doesn't cause any more trouble." He explained before heading to the stairs again.

'_Wait a moment, Lelouch,'_ She called after him, waiting until his steps stopped. He turned and faced her curiously, a small bit of annoyance visible on his face, but she ignored it. _'Before you go out there I wanted to discuss something with you. And, trust me, it is of the utmost importance that you hear this before you go on out there and fight for your very life.' _She said. With a heavy sigh Lelouch walked back over, still holding his cane close by, and flopped down in his chair behind the counter, watching as the girl cat readjusted so that she was facing him. _'There, now, let me begin...'_

...

"You came," A soft voice giggled musically. Emil looked at the young pink haired girl sitting on the edge of the building. She was seated with her legs dangling over the edge, the stick of a lollipop poking out from between her lips, twisted upward in a little grin. "Lelouch has been out there for a few hours. He seems to be anticipating that something will happen." She continued, not even looking back to face the angel that had arrived just seconds before.

Emil was not in his human form, pretending to be Genbu Kururugi. He was currently in his angel form and looked much younger than his human counterpart. He, in all actuality, looked almost exactly as his teenage son only his eyes were a hue of brown rather than emerald pools like his son's. His white wings pulled closer to his body a bit, not going away but making sure to stay above the ground. He hated how dirt on the tips of his lower feathers felt when he was trying to fly. "You agreed to help me, young lady," He said calmly while approaching her. She let out a small, airy little humming noise, waving one hand in a circular motion. "It would have been rude of me to not show up. And I'm also glad you decided to come here as well. I was worried that you may have been tricking me to help him get me out of the picture."

"Why would I do something like that?" She asked calmly, looking up at him with a curious expression on her face. She calmly took the sugary treat from her mouth and licked her lips for a moment, collective the flavor that had been there before speaking again. "You need to learn to put more faith in people, Emil. After all, not everyone in the world is out to get you." She mused before lightly licking the little pop. "You're not the only interesting thing in the world, you narcissistic little thing, you."

"Yes, well," He said while clearing his throat, flushed a bit at the rudeness of her comment, "I'd prefer if we could stay focused on the matter at hand."

She hummed lightly again while sweeping her legs back over and getting to her feet. She stood before him, a few inches shorter than him, and smiled innocently. "Lelouch has been out there much longer than I anticipated but he hasn't noticed my presence. I put up a shield over this building that will shelter our energies so that he will not see or sense us. That could put a huge hole in our little surprise," She explained, indicating the shadowy figure across the street that was pacing back and forth slowly.

"How long has he been up there?" Emil asked worriedly, glowering at the shadowy form. Would they have to retreat for now and return at later time? He could not let that happen; he was certain things would get strange when he got home. If Rin had not discovered Suzaku locked in his room than a neighbor may have heard the teen throwing a temper tantrum and gone to investigate. There would be many questions to answer, however it went, and he rather liked the idea of having the satisfaction of knowing Lelouch was gone before having to cross that hill.

"Well, he was already there when I arrived. I believe something may have happened with a demon. I heard through the vine that his teacher, C2, had been ruthlessly attacked by a demoness of great strength, cunning and cruelty," She explained to him before biting the lollipop in half. She chewed for a few minutes, letting the sound of the hardened, flavored sugar crunching under her molars be the only sound. "But I don't think we have anything to be afraid of. He won't be expecting an angel to attack."

"Speaking of which, what is this plan you told me you'd come up with?" He asked calmly, letting his wings finally disappear. He sat down a feet away from the young Shadow Walker girl. He figured they'd be there a while and saw no sense in standing the whole time. If he was going to wait he was going to be as comfortable as possible.

"I was thinking that we'd strike at one o'clock, or close to it," She began. She then sat back down and munched down the last half of her treat. "You'll attack first but try to get him talking first. We have to be sure he is distracted by both physical and mental stimulation so that he won't notice my presence in the shadows. After chatting him up a little bit with whatever you'd like start the fight. Then, once you've gotten him weakened, I'll sneak in and deliver the final blow." She said it all with the ease of a girl recounting the weather of the morning, which would have been bizarre if not for the facts she was a Shadow Walker who had suffered through so many hardships in her life.

"I see," He said before looking up at the sky. Soon enough he'd fly up to Heaven and present all the other angels with the news that he was right. No one would mock him anymore; perhaps he'd even be awarded a promotion for all his hard work and dedication! "Are there any spots that are specifically weaker, places that I could hit to assure he was done for you when you strike?"

"Yes," She answered easily enough, "there is one spot. If you just nudge the back of his left ankle you can make him topple over."

"And why is that spot so sensitive?" He pressed further. He wanted to make sure that every last detail was covered to assure there was absolutely no failure.

"Years ago he was involved in a small bout with a human in America. The man pinned him and slashed the muscle in there clear through, hoping it would stop Lelouch from ever walking again. It healed easily but the damage left the area rather sensitive," She stated calmly.

"You sure do know a lot about Lelouch," Emil stated calmly. She looked at him and flashed him a small smirk that was just brimming with satisfaction.

"Well, when you want to take someone else down you technically need to know as much about their weaknesses as you can, just to assure you can exploit them for your own victory," She said cheerfully with a little giggle. Emil blinked a few times, truly stunned that she had said such a thing.

"That... That is a very conniving way to phrase that," He said with another clear of the throat. It was making him feel just the slightest bit uncomfortable, that way she had worded it.

"It's all about survival, my friend," She hummed lightly, her innocent little grin hiding her truly maleficent intent.

...

Suzaku's eyes fluttered open to be greeted by large grey storm clouds. After a second, however, the view was blocked by Gino Weinberg. He flinched and quickly shoved the grinning face out of his way so that he could sit back up. When he did so he blinked and looked down, realizing that his outfit had completely changed. "What the- Did you change me while I was unconscious?" He proclaimed indignantly, looking at the still smiling blonde.

Suzaku's outfit had changed from a regular cotton tee and blue jeans to something far more elaborate. His new shirt felt to be made of some cross between silk and cotton in a shade of royal blue. A strange insignia was decorated on the left sleeve in gold but the symbol seemed to be a representation of wealth or importance. Instead of jeans he had slacks made of the same material in a black as dark as the night sky on most nights with a gold sash tying them to his hips lightly. The outfit was completed with black boots instead of his sneakers and he realized, with a glance up, that his outfit was almost identical to Gino's, aside from the fact that the other angel's top was of a green hue instead.

"Me? Oh, no, that's your new angel robes! My boss had your old, drab human attire swapped out since you'll be joining me and the other cadets!" He said cheerfully, standing up from his squatting position and offering his hand. When the other's tanned hand was in his grasp he yanked the other to his feet with one quick tug of his arm and grinned impishly at the surprised look in those deep vert eyes.

"But... Don't angels were those white robes that are kind of like togas?" The young Japanese boy asked curiously, clutching his naginata a little tighter.

"Only angels of higher regard and stature, such as our boss, wear the traditional celestial robes. Other than that the rest of us wear more... I guess, for lack of a better word, more functional clothes so that we have better luck with our battles and missions," He stated before hopping up lightly, his wings materializing immediately and lightly beginning to lift him farther from the ground. Suzaku, a little less sure of himself, imitated the action. He may know how to do this now, due to Gino's teachings, but this was his first time putting it to practice. "You see, we cadets do most of the grunt work like chasing down low-level demons, delivering things or watching over a recovering angelic offender. There's a class of angels who are more powerful than us but usually maintain to things up in Heaven, tagging along after higher up ranking officers. They'd be the equivalent to a secretary. The guardian angels are another class above and you are only put there if your commanding officer, an official such as our boss, sees you as deserving of the responsibility and receives the okay from God Himself. Above that come the officials with the ability to take or kill other angels in to custody if they should disobey the Mandate of Him, the code of conduct we angels pride ourselves upon following. That's where our boss is at. Above her are the angels that are part of The Council, or the angels whom answer directly to God. Certain officials in our boss' league, if excellent in everything they do, can have the same right to see God Himself face to face but it takes an individual of great skill and honor. Of course, that's our boss too!" He laughed happily as they began to slowly ascend to the sky.

"And how exactly do you get raised to a higher status?" Suzaku asked as he followed after Gino easily. He was surprised to find that flying was easier than he'd thought it would be. He wondered briefly if it was just because of the angelic blood pumping in his veins that flying was so natural or if it was because of Gino's teachings. He discarded the thought and returned to focusing on the explanations he was getting from Gino.

"By completing missions with flying colors and being suggested by your superior officers, like how promotions work in big human corporations," Gino answered before perking up. He glanced up and stopped just as a few droplets of water landed on his wings and faces. Suzaku stopped as well, glancing back at his new coworker curiously.

"Something wrong?" He asked curiously. The blonde snapped back to attention, blue eyes lighting up a little bit as they fixed on the other. He shook his head quickly, sent another quick look upwards, and then shook his head at Suzaku again. "Then we should get a move on. I want to make sure Lelouch is still safe."

"You go ahead. I'm going to find a good vantage point for me to fire my arrows. I'll be better offering my assistance from the sidelines, given my weapons strong points," He said with a little grin before flying off in another direction much faster than he'd been travelling before.

Uneasiness began to bubble in the pit of Suzaku's stomach but he ignored it and instead headed off toward the shop.

...

A cold droplet fell onto Lelouch's head, dripping down his forehead and down along the left side of his nose. He glanced up, seeing little thin trickles of water beginning to fall from the sky. He had been standing outside for near five hours now and it was already a quarter until one o'clock in the morning. He had seen neither hide nor hair of Suzaku, Emil or Marianne and he found it unsettling. What if Emil had hurt Suzaku? Or, even worse, what if Marianne had found out about the brunette and set after him instead of attacking Lelouch directly? He shook the thoughts away as the real downpour began, obscuring his vision ever so slightly.

Through the veil of water he saw a figure leap from the store roof across the street and head toward the roof of his own. He took in a deep breath and glowered as one of the two figures he'd been waiting for landed a few feet away in a rather graceful flutter of wings and flap of holy fabrics. "I should have known you were hiding here somewhere, just waiting for your chance to strike," Lelouch said in his usual tone of casual aloofness. He narrowed his eyes, his pupils disappearing a bit more in to an ocean of violet coloring. "Where's Suzaku, Emil?"

"I've had him taken care of," He said smoothly. Lelouch's eyes widened with horror for a brief second before narrowing again, a much more menacing look to those eyes. "You think I'd kill my own son? I'm not a cold-hearted barbarian like you, Lelouch." He hissed back, volume rising with the rage of the unspoken accusation. Lelouch remained tense on the outside though in his mind he was relieved. At least Suzaku was safe and, most likely, unharmed.

"You're right about that, Emil. You're just a self-righteous prick who likes to beat up innocent people. Wait, let me correct that; you're a self-righteous _racist_ prick! I always forget that one part for some reason!" He snapped sternly, letting out a bitter little chuckle at the end. Emil snarled a little bit then calmly snapped his fingers. A sword in a sleek black sheath appeared in his hands. Lelouch knew all too well that the blade inside was a katana, much like his own hidden in the cane. "So you did come here to do more than just exchange pleasantries. Well, that is fine by me." He pushed his sword up using his thumb, tossing the scabbard aside and catching the handle easily before it could hit the ground.

"Who said I wanted to resort to violence so soon?" The angel asked calmly, pulling out his own sword and tossing his scabbard off to the side as well. Lelouch would have made a comment about monkey see monkey do but could tell by the look in the other's eyes that the comment would be left abandoned. "Tell me, Lelouch, are you happy? Your lies have pulled my son in and pitted him against me. Have you accomplished your goal for payback?" He spat angrily. Lelouch kept his cool composure, tilting his head up to look at the fat clouds shedding their weight over the city. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting the water chill his skin, enjoying how it dripped off the edges of his inky locks to wet his shoulders even more.

"Yes," Lelouch began as he tilted his head back down and met the gaze fixed on him,"would be my answer if not for the fact I let those plans die long ago. I told Suzaku the truth and he accepted me anyway. It is the same as I accept him despite your strong hate for me, despite he and I being of very different heritages." Emil's grip tightened on his sword at Lelouch's words, rage beginning to make his fingers twitch and itch.

"Don't forget your very different life spans!" He roared before charging forward. He brought his sword down as Lelouch lifted his own, effectively blocking the blade. He growled again, shaking as he tried to force his blade down and past Lelouch's. Instead the ebony haired male throw Emil's sword up and hopped back a few steps. He glared at the angel who quickly took up a different position to strike.

"Just as bull-headed as ever," Lelouch sighed before taking up a defensive strike of his own. He then tilted his head, tossing his wet bangs from his eyes, and gave his opponent a small smirk. "Let's see how far unguided hatred and rage will get you, shall we?" He asked in a voice as chilled as ice, as level-headed as he'd ever been. Like every other time he and Emil had encountered one another on the road of life.

Emil charged forward again, growing like a feral beast when Lelouch side-stepped him with the greatest of ease. That haughty little smirk on the Shadow Walker prince's face didn't vanish - wasn't even fazed! – by the attempted strike. This only worked to send the angel further into rage and unholy fury. He tried again, this time pretending to go for the left then switching to the right at the last moment. He nicked Lelouch's side, leaving a little open cut as the other hopped backwards again. The paler boy lightly tapped the wound, seeing the bit of blood on his fingers just before the heavy rain washed it away, then raised an eyebrow. "Is that the best you can do?" He asked mockingly while standing straighter.

"You wish!" Emil retorted scornfully before charging again. Lelouch easily side stepped again, keeping his eyes focused on where Emil's blade was going. He wasn't going to slip up and get another little scratch from this stubborn oaf. He just had to get Emil worn down to the wire and then he'd be fine to temporarily stunned the angel, lock him up and make sure he couldn't get away.

Marianne, deep in the shadows close by, snarled to herself. Why was Emil taking so much time? She'd told him where to land a blow so they could take Lelouch out. She had told him to get him tired in hopes that he'd not listen to her; she had put her plans on the hope that he'd deviate and leave her chance out in the open. She had left the vessel she'd been using, that of a mere human girl named Anya, and taken on her more animalistic, demonic form, her wings tilted to keep the rain from getting on her head or face. She watched the deadly dance, the silver streaks of metal crashing down on metal, and silently cursed and urged the angel forward. _'Do it, you damn fool! Take him out!'_ She silently shrieked. It was at that moment that Lelouch shimmied to the left and stabbed clean through one white wing, causing Emil to stop in his tracks and howl in pain.

Not too far off, Suzaku heard the sound and felt panic grip even tighter in his chest. _'Please don't be Lelouch! Please don't be Lelouch!'_ He begged quietly as his wings propelled him faster, beating more rapidly.

Lelouch stepped back a bit, watching as Emil dropped to his knees, wheezing frantically for air. Because angel wings were an extension of the spine, the pain was as terrible as if he'd been stabbed in the back, and Emil was left grappling on the ground. For a moment his mind blank, emptied by the searing pain, but then his mind clicked back to what he'd been told earlier by his female partner. He tilted his sword discretely, angling it just right so that he'd have a clean yank at Lelouch's nearby ankle. "Emil, I didn't want to have to do this, but if you refuse to listen I'll have to get you out of the way until I have more time to deal with you," The young prince said with a heavy sigh. It was then that Lelouch glanced up, catching a flicker of moment up in the air.

With Lelouch's attention elsewhere, Emil yanked and screamed, "Go now!" Lelouch's eyes widened as he went backgrounds, the old pain of a terrible gash on his ankle stirring him to the reality of the situation. He tilted his head a bit, just in time to see his mother's demonic smirk as her clawed hand pierced right through Lelouch's stomach. Emil's eyes widened as well as the reality of what he'd done crushed down on him. _'She's... a demon!'_ He gasped inside as Lelouch fell, eyes still wide and mouth opened a slight bit as if to utter something.

"Lelouch... Lelouch... Lelouch!" Suzaku screamed in horror, watching the other drop. He trembled from where he was, slowly descending to just the rim of the roof. Emil turned and looked at his son with an apologetic look on his face. Suzaku didn't even acknowledge him; he was too preoccupied with his fallen lover. "Lelouch... Lelouch, no!" He gasped shakily, his shakes getting even worse. His eyes began to sting with welling tears, his throat becoming thick and making it hard to swallow.

"Stop being to melodramatic, you big baby," A monotonous female voice scoffed from the stairs to the store. All heads turned to be greeted by long lime green hair and bright amber eyes. She was wearing an over-sized shirt and loose fitting black slacks that were rolled up at the ankles, clearly things she'd hi-jacked from Lelouch's closet. "I didn't make you king so you could lay around like some lazy buffoon because of a little poke in the stomach."

"Sorry I'm not used to this," Lelouch coughed out in a shaky laugh, using his trembling arms to slowly push himself back up to his knees. He stayed there, kneeling for a moment and panting softly with blood trailing from his mouth, while the three baffled parties watched him. "You're as compassionate as you've ever been, C2." He laughed hollowly as he sat back on the balls of his feet, one hand holding his wound while he flashed a pained grin at the newcomer. She smirked in response, shrugged, and stretched toward the sky much like a cat.

"W-What?" Suzaku whispered softly before darting over and hugging Lelouch tightly. A low, pained groan came from the other boy, causing him to yelp and pull back. "Sorry! I just... I'm so happy..." He stammered, eyes welling up with tears. He was answered with a small smile and Lelouch's fingers musing through his mussy hair lightly.

"It's okay. But," Lelouch groaned lightly while trying to stand, one hand still clenched on his sword, "I think I still have some busy to tend to." He stated, glaring at his mother. The she-demon merely answered with a short bark of laughter at her weakened son. "I've been given C2's immortality so she can't kill me." Lelouch started to head over but was stopped by a hand landing on his shoulder. He blinked and turned to see the serious expression of his lover. "Suzaku?"

"C2, will you keep an eye on him? He's not fighting like this," The brunette said sternly, gently directing Lelouch toward the girl and giving him a little shove. The other stumbled a few steps and looked back again, bemusement clear on his face. "I'm not letting you fight her, Lelouch. I'll take her down." Suzaku lifted his naginata and held it out, pointing the blade toward the cackling demoness.

"You think you can defeat me? Foolish naive! You're a new blood, a mere rookie! You know nothing of the art of combat!" She laughed loudly, pointing at him and holding her sides from what she considered the most humorous thing all evening. Suzaku didn't back down, his face a picture of determination and self-assurance. "And you fight because you're with my son? My, what a simpleton you are! You are an angel and he is king of the Night Walkers!"

"So I assume you know what that means," Suzaku said calmly, remaining poised to strike. The demoness blinked, thrown off by his words, and looked at him quizzically. A slow smirk came up on the boy's lips, his emerald orbs gleaming with mockery. "Your plan failed. You tricked my father into thinking that Lelouch caused World War II when really it was you who inspired that cruelty. You did all of this so that Lelouch would die before he could bring peace and spoil your fun but he's the king now; he's become immortal. And you know you can't kill the king of the Night Walkers." He said, his tone riddled with cockiness and teasing. Marianne's eyes widened as his words sunk in, horrified with the sudden realization of just how right the angel was.

She stumbled back a bit, growling like a wild beast. She moved, as if to flee, and that was when they heard the thump of something piercing her and saw the metal edge of an arrow poking out through her heart. She gasped loudly and looked at Lelouch and slowly, as the end drew closer, her eyes softened and pleaded of him for forgiveness. He looked away just as her body dissipated into a thin cloud of black smoke. Suzaku sighed loudly and fell on his rear just as the archer landed and grinned lightly. "Thanks, Gino," Suzaku sighed, looking up at the blonde with a grateful smile.

"Hey, any time! You're really lucky, though, you know? I mean, our boss may have given you your weapon but it hasn't been officially blessed yet! In a fight against that she-demon it's be as effective as wagging a stick at a rabid dog!" He laughed happily. Lelouch, in the background, felt his eye twitch as an angry smile settled on his lips.

"So... According to what he's saying," He said slowly, his tone causing Suzaku to flinch and look back with a nervous grin," is that you were about to let yourself get killed?" He roared angrily. Suzaku quickly darted over, wagging his hands and trying to come up with an explanation, only to be thumped on the head by his angry boyfriend. "Are you an idiot? You don't read head first into a battle like that! What could you have done with a useless weapon?"

"Well, he could have wagged it at her and made loud noises! Maybe that would have scared her off!" Gino added helpfully, beaming brightly at the fuming raven haired male. Suzaku kept his hands up at Lelouch and looked back at Gino, eyes begging.

"Please don't help me with this one, Gino! I think, if it's possible, you're just making Lelouch even angrier!" He squeaked before turning back to Lelouch. He bowed his head and turned on the puppy dog eyes. "I'm sorry but I knew Gino was close by! He's been an angel longer than me so I knew his weapon would be set for combat! And I didn't have time to go to heaven and have mine blessed!"

Lelouch opened his mouth, clearly about to retort, but fell silent when they heard light, musical laughter approaching them. Gino's eyes widened significantly. "It's Lady Grace! That's our boss, Suzaku!"

A figure landed a few feet away, wrap in extravagant white robes, and smiled at the three young men looking at her. "Ah, Suzaku, you make me so proud!" She gushed happily, approaching and gently kissing the young angel's forehead. Vert orbs widened and he gaped at the angel woman hugging him lightly.

"M-Mother?" He sputtered in surprise, detangling himself and stepping back a little bit. Lady Grace responded with a smile. "B-But... Dad said you were human!"

"Your father didn't know I was an angel; I was down here working undercover at the time. My mission demanded that, even if I should come across another angel, I was not to reveal my identity. Luckily enough, God was very understanding and gave me permission to remain on Earth to take care of you," She explained before glancing over at Emil, who looked stunned. "But now, I'm afraid to say, that I need to take Emil in to custody. For now, your mission is to take care of Lelouch and watch after him. Gino, you'll come and help me take Emil in for judgment." She said crisply, turning to look at the injured angel.

"My apologies, Lelouch. Clearly I was wrong about you," The older angel confessed softly, his head bowed in shame as his hands were cuffed behind his back by the female angel. Lelouch looked at him for a second then sighed.

"I hope they're lenient on you. It wasn't entirely your fault," He said calmly, wincing a bit as the wound in his stomach acted up. That would take some time to heal.

Grace smiled lightly as she and Gino took Emil's arms and headed upward. "You realize that he's a better man than most, don't you?" She asked quietly.

"You're wrong; he's a better man than I am," Emil whispered softly, wallowing in his own stupidity.

...

Suzaku and Lelouch sat in silence. They were seated on Lelouch's bed and Suzaku was treating the stab wound through his stomach. The bleeding had luckily enough stopped. "We just need to wrap it; it'll heal relatively quickly with the proper treatment," Lelouch groaned as Suzaku lightly dabbed the area with cleaning fluid on a cloth.

"It needs proper treatment so you'll just have to grin and bear it," Suzaku grumbled lightly, keeping his eyes trained on the task before him. Lelouch blinked slightly, catching a certain note in the other boy's voice, before smiling lightly. He reached over and touched Suzaku's cheek with the tips of his finger, making the other look up at him.

"Suzaku, I'll be fine. And I'm not going anywhere," He said gently with a small smile. The tanner male blinked, then swallowed hard and hugged him tightly, hiding his face in the crook of Lelouch's neck. Amethyst orbs softened while his own arms wrapped around him, returning the embrace. "Just relax, Suzaku. We're going to be okay." He cooed soothingly.

C2 watched from behind the door, peering in through a small crack, before smirking to herself. "You better take good care of Lulu, Kururugi," She mumbled softly, too quietly to be heard, before she turned and descended the stairs. She had a girlfriend to go meet up with and it was clear her presence wasn't necessary here any longer. She pushed open the door and disappeared into the light drizzle of rain still washing away the sins of the city.

End


End file.
